At least six people have died after a magnitude-7.3 earthquake struck near Vanuatu’s capital city of Port Vila, according to local media and the United Nations. Source: ABC News.
An official at Port Vila’s hospital told Vanuatu’s national broadcaster VBTC that more than 50 were injured.
Australia is sending urgent assistance to Vanuatu, where the death toll is expected to rise as search and rescue teams work to reach people trapped under collapsed buildings.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the earthquake caused “significant damage”, adding that Australia would send urban search and rescue teams, as well as emergency medical assistance, to help recovery efforts.
“We are closely monitoring the situation and stand ready to provide further assistance to the people of Vanuatu as the extent of damage becomes clear,” Senator Wong said in a joint statement with Matt Keogh, the acting minister for international development.
“Australia and Vanuatu share a deep and enduring partnership. We are family and we will always be there in times of need.”
Local business owner Michael Thompson described “chaotic” scenes in Port Vila overnight as rescuers searched for people believed to be trapped under crushed buildings.
“We understand there are eight people trapped inside and the guys are trying to move slowly to get in,” he said.
Glen Craig, chair of the Vanuatu Business Resilience Council, described the destruction he had seen.
“At this stage, we think there’s around 10 buildings that have collapsed around the Port Vila area,” he said.
He warned the situation was likely to be a “mass casualty event” with several retail buildings destroyed around the airport, wharf area and downtown, and communication infrastructure also damaged.
He said international assistance, specifically engineers and search and rescue teams, was urgently needed.
Vanuatu is ranked as one of the countries most susceptible to natural disasters such as earthquakes, storm damage, flooding and tsunamis, according to the annual World Risk Report.
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Australia sends ‘immediate’ search and rescue assistance to Vanuatu following powerful earthquake (By Ange McCormack and Libby Hogan, ABC News)
