WorthyNews: Massive Earthquake Hits Vanuatu, Killing 14

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By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News

PORT VILA (Worthy News) – At least 14 people were dead and hundreds injured Wednesday after an earthquake of magnitude 7.3, described as the region’s worst in decades, rocked the island nation of Vanuatu, officials said.

Tuesday’s quake reportedly occurred around 1 p.m. local time at a depth of 57 kilometers (35 miles). It was centered 30 kilometers (18 miles) west of Port Vila, the capital of Vanuatu, a group of 80 islands with 330,000 people.

A tsunami warning was called off less than two hours after the quake, followed by large aftershocks.

As the extent of the tragedy became clear, Vanuatu’s caretaker, Prime Minister Charlot Salwai, declared a seven-day state of emergency. The state of emergency includes a curfew from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., and only essential services should be operated, Salwai said.

The prime minister added that it was a “sad and devastating time” in Port Vila as the death toll continued to rise.

Dan McGarry, a journalist with the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project based in Vanuatu, agreed with that assessment, saying: “It was the most violent earthquake I’ve experienced in my 21 years living in Vanuatu and the Pacific Islands. I’ve seen a lot of large earthquakes, never one like this.”

Besides those killed, over 200 people were injured, said Katie Greenwood, Fiji-based head of the Red Cross in the Pacific.

HOSPITAL OVERWHELMED

They overwhelmed Vanuatu’s main hospital, which she said was damaged, and compromised water supply.

Yet the United Nations humanitarian office said rescue efforts by other countries were hampered as “access to the airport and seaport were severely limited due to road damage.”

The agency’s observation was confirmed by footage showing streets of Port Vila strewn with broken glass and other debris from damaged buildings.

Witnesses said that even the ground floor of a four-story block in the capital used by the United States, French, and other embassies was flattened.

The US embassy in Papua New Guinea closed the mission until further notice because of “considerable damage,” the embassy explained in a social media message. “Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this earthquake,” the embassy stressed.

“There’s people in the buildings in town. There were bodies there when we walked past,” resident Michael Thompson said after posting images of the destruction on social media.

He said a landslide on one road had covered a bus, “so there were obviously some deaths there.” Thompson said the quake destroyed the ground floor of the diplomatic building, knocked down at least two bridges, and toppled other buildings.

‘COMPLETELY FLAT’

The bottom floor of the embassy block “no longer exists,” he said. “It is just completely flat. The top three floors are still holding, but they have dropped.”

“If there was anyone in there at the time, then they’re gone,” added Thompson, who runs a zipline adventure business in Vanuatu.

The United States closed the mission until further notice because of “considerable damage,” the US embassy in Papua New Guinea said on social media.

The embassy added, “Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this earthquake. ”

The government said New Zealand’s High Commission, which is in the same building as the U.S. French, British, and Australian missions, also suffered “significant damage.”

Earthquakes are common in Vanuatu, a low-lying archipelago of 320,000 people that straddles the seismic Ring of Fire, an arc of intense tectonic activity stretching through Southeast Asia and the Pacific basin.

That became clear when a magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck Vanuatu early Wednesday, following Tuesday’s initial 7.3 quake.

20 AFTERSHOCKS

Australian tourist Tessa Jones told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) there had been a constant onslaught of aftershocks in Port Vila this morning. “I would say we’ve had at least 20 aftershocks,” she said.

“It’s a very sad situation, and it’s going to take a long time for the recovery efforts to come,” she added.

Amid the devastation on the mainly Christian island nation, there were signs of hope, with reports that three people were rescued from collapsed buildings.

Thompson recalled “incredible displays of bravery” as people trapped underneath flattened buildings were brought to safety.

He said the three people rescued are alive, but one is in a “very serious condition.”

Yet, Thompson said, communicating with the outside world remains a challenge as the quake cut off most mobile networks on the Pacific island.

“They’re just cracking on with a rescue operation. The support we need from overseas is medical evacuation and skilled rescue, the kind of people that can operate in earthquakes,” he added.

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