The earth shook again in the Vanuatu archipelago. A new violent earthquake was recorded this Sunday at 2:30 a.m. It comes five days after a powerful earthquake which left at least twelve dead on the island of Efate.
A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck off the coast of Vanuatu on Sunday, the United States Institute of Geophysics (USGS) announced. It was recorded a few days after a 7.3 earthquake near the same island of Efate, the main one of this South Pacific archipelago.
The new earthquake occurred at 2:30 a.m. on December 22, at a depth of 40 kilometers and about thirty kilometers west of the capital, Port Vila.
No tsunami alert was issued. With mobile phone networks remaining out of service since the previous earthquake on Tuesday, external contacts with Vanuatu were difficult early on Sunday morning.
In addition to disrupted communications, this earthquake damaged water supply systems and led to the cessation of activities in the capital's most important seaport.
The Vanuatu authorities then declared a state of emergency for a period of seven days and a nighttime curfew. They only announced on Saturday the lifting of the suspension of commercial flights, with the aim of relaunching a vital tourism industry as it contributes directly or indirectly to more than half of the national economy.
The earthquake earlier this week caused the death of at least twelve people. It caused buildings to collapse and landslides.
Vanuatu, which has some 320,000 inhabitants, is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where earthquakes are frequent.
France, New Caledonia, Australia and New Zealand dispatched teams and equipment this week to help search for survivors, assist victims and carry out emergency reconnaissance and repairs. . A detachment of four volunteer firefighters, trained in water purification, flew to Vanuatu this Saturday, December 21, announced the government of New Caledonia. The Red Cross is also mobilized.
There was “several sites where the collapses have been major and the buildings are completely crushed”said the head of the Australian rescue team, Douglas May, in a video on Friday.
In Port Vila, rescuers focused on two areas affected by Tuesday's earthquake: one that houses a supermarket building, a hotel and a garage in the north and another where there is a commercial building in the city center.
More than 1,000 people were displaced following the first earthquake. Many are now sheltering in other homes or in evacuation centers, according to the latest UN report, citing Vanuatu disaster management officials.
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