A 7.3 magnitude earthquake has hit near Vanuatu’s capital, Port Vila, causing landslides, crushing vehicles, and flattening several buildings, including a complex housing multiple Western embassies. While unconfirmed reports suggest fatalities, the full extent of the destruction is still unknown, as power and mobile networks have been disrupted across the nation.
Although Vanuatu is known for its seismic activity, Mr. McGarry told the BBC that this quake felt like “the largest one in over 20 years.”
The earthquake occurred at 12:47 local time or 01:47 GMT on Tuesday. Mr. McGarry said, “Emergency services will be busy for a while.” Here our resources and this capability is a little,” and said that police at Vila Central Hospital confirmed one, though, they expected more deaths.
A post on Facebook by the state broadcaster VBTC showed many people outside Vila Central Hospital, most of whom were on gurneys waiting for attention. Michael Thompson of the Vanuatu Jungle Zipline adventure company told AFP that he saw some corpses lying on the ground.
For instance there are several building that have collapsed across the town. A massive rescue effort is still being conducted to help anyone who can still be saved within the buildings,” Mr. Thompson said in another video shared on Facebook.
From an interview with the BBC, Amanda, Mr. Thompson’s wife said she thought, “the ceiling of our home would collapse.” She continued, “We always have some kind of an earthquake in our area, but this kind of a big one, we don’t. The house had large opening cracks, and the glass doors and windows slid shuttered. Now we keep having multiple aftershocks each of which makes us anxious and run outside to get some fresh air.
However Mr. McGarry reassured that the people of Vanuatu would survive this latest tragedy that has befallen the nation. The people of Vanuatu have a natural calamity every year. It has become part of our culture. We will also succeed in this regard, though with some difficulty, he said.
Vanuatu is a country comprising of about 80 islands located to the west of Fiji and thousands of kilometers to the east of northern Australia. The nation sits in a zones of seismic activity therefore experiencing, frequently, major shake and other natural calamities.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Location | South Pacific Ocean, Oceania |
| Continent | Australia (Oceania) |
| Capital | Port Vila |
| Official Languages | Bislama, English, French |
| Population | Approximately 320,000 (2024 estimate) |
| Currency | Vanuatu Vatu (VUV) |
| Independence | Achieved on July 30, 1980 (from France & UK) |
| Government | Parliamentary Republic |
| Major Industries | Agriculture, tourism, offshore financial services |
| Popular Attractions | Mount Yasur, Champagne Beach, Blue Lagoon, Tanna Island |
| Climate | Tropical; wet season (Nov-Apr), dry season (May-Oct) |
| Natural Disasters | Prone to cyclones, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions |
| Economy | Agriculture-based; coconut, kava, and cocoa exports |
| UN Ranking | Consistently ranked among the happiest countries globally |
| Traditional Culture | Rich cultural heritage, custom dances, and traditional ceremonies |
| Key Export Products | Copra, kava, cocoa, timber, beef |
| Closest Countries | Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Solomon Islands, New Caledonia |
Western embassies affected by damage
The United States Embassy, the British High Commission, the French Embassy, and the New Zealand High Commission were among the structures that suffered damage within the same complex.
Officials from the United States reported that the building experienced “significant damage” and will remain closed until further notice. They confirmed that all personnel within the building had successfully evacuated.
In a related development, several Australian airlines have cancelled flights to Port Vila due to damage at the airport.
Jetstar, an airline owned by Qantas, has cancelled a flight that was scheduled for Wednesday morning from Sydney to Port Vila, attributing the cancellation to “earthquake activity in Vanuatu and indications of potential damage to the infrastructure at Port Vila airport.”