The powerful earthquake that struck the archipelago on Tuesday, December 17, left behind deaths, injuries and considerable damage. Aid is slow to arrive as residents face a humanitarian crisis. Since yesterday, aftershocks have been recorded. This Wednesday, December 18, three earthquakes, averaging 5.0 magnitude, were felt early this morning.
A magnitude 7.3 earthquake shook Vanuatu on Tuesday at 12:47 p.m. (local time), killing at least fourteen people and affecting more than 100,000 residents. The epicenter, located at sea 30 kilometers from Port Vila, caused significant damage in the capital and its surroundings.
According to the United States Geological Survey, aftershocks were felt early Wednesday, December 18, the day after the powerful earthquake.
- Around 5:17 a.m., a magnitude 5.5 earthquake occurred 16 km west-northwest of Port Vila.
- Around 5:29 a.m., a magnitude 4.7 earthquake occurred 24 km west-southwest of Port Vila.
- Around 7:02 a.m., a magnitude 4.9 earthquake occurred 37 km west of Port Vila.
Images posted on social networks show collapsed bridges, destroyed buildings and injured people being treated on the ground, due to a lack of functional hospital infrastructure.
There were dead bodies in the streets of downtown, collapsed bridges and landslides.
Port Vila resident Michael Thompson
The United Nations estimates that 116,000 people could be affected by the consequences of this earthquake. In the main hospital of Port Vila, partially destroyed, tents were urgently set up to accommodate the injured.
We lack everything: medicines, beds, equipment.
In rural areas, relief efforts struggle to reach isolated communities. With roads cut and telecommunications disrupted, the extent of the damage remains difficult to assess.
Aftershocks, including one of magnitude 5.5, continue to shake the archipelago, heightening fears of additional collapses. At the same time, essential infrastructure is at a standstill: Port Vila airport is closed, and several airlines, including Qantas and Fiji Airways, have canceled their flights.
The capital’s two main drinking water reservoirs were damaged, threatening an already vulnerable population.
Faced with this disaster, local authorities are calling for help. France and Australia have offered their support, while the UN is preparing shipments of emergency equipment.
“We are in constant contact with the Vanuatu government to assess needs”assured the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, although the French embassy in Port Vila was destroyed during the earthquake.
Vanuatu is ranked among the countries most vulnerable to natural disasters such as earthquakes, storm damage, floods and tsunamis, according to the annual Global Risks Report.
