Deadly magnitude 7.3 quake hits Pacific island nation

A powerful earthquake, possibly the strongest in years, has devastated the island nation of Vanuatu, killing at least 14 people. More than 200 injuries were reported, according to a post on X by Katie Greenwood, the Fiji-based head of the Red Cross in the Pacific.

The magnitude 7.3 tremor shook the region on Tuesday, triggering tremors in homes, businesses and critical infrastructure. Witnesses reported collapsing buildings, roads blocked by landslides and hospitals overwhelmed as reports of injuries – and unconfirmed victims – surfaced.

According to the UN Humanitarian Office, access to seaports and airports was “severely limited due to road damage.” This could impact relief efforts.

The quake, which struck 18 miles west of the capital Port Vila, triggered a tsunami warning that was listed hours later, but the damage was far from over. Still, residents were urged to stay away from the coasts for at least 24 hours until tsunami and earthquake monitoring systems are operational again.

Power outages and disrupted communications have made it difficult to assess the full extent of the destruction, leaving residents in a state of fear and uncertainty as aftershocks continue to rage through the region.

Some people are trapped

Videos on social media showed nighttime rescue operations for people trapped in buildings, including a three-story building that collapsed into the lower floors.

Amanda Laithwaite said her husband was among the rescuers searching for eight people they heard screaming inside, but their progress was slow.

Three people were pulled alive from the rubble overnight, her husband Michael Thompson wrote on Facebook. In a video he shared, a woman covered in dust was lying on a stretcher. Army personnel and civilians worked with tools and shovels, Thompson said.

Doctors were working “as quickly as they could” in a triage center outside the emergency room, he said.

Messages are damaged

A building that housed several diplomatic missions in Port Vila – including those of the United States, Britain, France and New Zealand – sustained significant damage.

The US Embassy’s Facebook page said all staff were safe, but the building was closed until further notice. The office opened in July as the US sought to expand its presence in the Pacific to counter China’s influence in the region.

New Zealand’s Foreign Ministry said officials had held all but two of its embassy staff responsible. Australia’s Foreign Ministry said its workers were safe.

All flights on the ground

McGarry said a “massive landslide” at the international shipping terminal was likely to hamper the recovery. The airport’s runway was also damaged, he said.

Some airlines in Australia and the Pacific said they had canceled or paused flights scheduled for Wednesday and were awaiting news on the status of the airport.

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on

Because of Vanuatu’s location in a subduction zone – where the Indo-Australian tectonic plate moves beneath the Pacific plate – earthquakes larger than magnitude 6 are not uncommon, and the country’s buildings are designed to withstand earthquake damage.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.