Strong 7.3 magnitude earthquake hits Vanuatu happymamay

A powerful 7.3-magnitude earthquake has struck near Vanuatu’s capital, Port Vila, damaging buildings and other infrastructure.

The earthquake occurred at 12:47 local time (01:47 GMT) at a depth of 57.1 kilometers, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

This briefly triggered a tsunami warning in parts of the Pacific island nation, but officials said as of 14:14 local time the threat had passed.

The extent of the damage remains unclear, but there are unconfirmed reports of at least one person dying.

Dan McGarry, a journalist who lives in Port Vila, said police at Vila Central Hospital informed him that one person had died.

On X, McGarry said he saw three people in “serious condition” on hospital stretchers waiting for treatment. He added that the earthquake was “the largest earthquake I have seen in more than 20 years.”

Footage circulated on social media showed collapsed buildings, cars affected by fallen boards, and furniture scattered on the floors inside homes. Residents report incomplete connections.

The US Embassy in Port Vila was among the damaged buildings, according to photos posted online.

US officials said the building sustained “severe damage” and would be closed until further notice.

“Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this earthquake, and the US government will work closely with our partners in Vanuatu,” the embassy in Papua New Guinea said in a statement.

Michael Thompson, director of the Vanuatu Jungle Zipline adventure company, told AFP news agency that he saw bodies lying in the streets.

“There are several buildings that have collapsed all over the city,” Thompson said, in a separate video posted on Facebook. “There is a major rescue operation on the way to extract people potentially alive in the building.”

“Most of the connections are gone.”

The USGS reported at least four aftershocks around Port Vila — ranging in magnitude from 4.7 to 5.5 — in the two hours after the first quake.

Authorities in neighboring New Zealand and Australia said there was no threat of a tsunami in their countries.

Australia also said it “stands ready to support Vanuatu as it assesses the extent of the damage.”

“Vanuatu is a family and we will always be there in times of need,” Foreign Minister Penny Wong wrote on X.

Vanuatu, a low-lying archipelago of about 80 islands, is located in a seismically active zone and is prone to frequent large earthquakes and other natural disasters.