Buildings flattened as 7.3 magnitude earthquake hits Vanuatu

A 7.3 magnitude earthquake has struck near Vanuatu’s capital, Port Vila, causing landslides, destroying cars, and flattening numerous buildings, including a complex housing several Western embassies.

While unconfirmed reports suggest fatalities, the full scale of the damage is still unknown due to power and mobile network outages across the country.

Dan McGarry, a journalist in Port Vila, reported that hospital authorities confirmed at least one death. He also saw “several people who were visibly, seriously injured” outside the emergency unit.

Although Vanuatu is prone to earthquakes, McGarry described this quake as “the biggest one… in more than 20 years.”

The earthquake struck at 12:47 local time (01:47 GMT) on Tuesday.

“Emergency services are going to be busy for a while. We have limited equipment and capabilities here,” McGarry stated, adding that police at Vila Central Hospital had informed him of one confirmed death, with more expected as the situation develops.

via BBC