A Frenchman is one of the fifteen victims identified in the powerful earthquake which struck Vanuatu earlier this week. The latter was a resident of this Pacific archipelago, the embassy said.
“Confirmation of the death of our compatriot […] under the rubble of a collapsed building in the city center,” the diplomat wrote in a message on X, offering his condolences to the family. The earthquake, measuring 7.3, occurred at midday on Tuesday off the main island of the archipelago, where Port Vila is located.
The toll should rise
The deaths of nine people have been confirmed by the Port Vila hospital, but the death toll is expected to rise according to the Vanuatu Disaster Management Office. Two other people who died were Chinese nationals, the Chinese ambassador to Vanuatu reported on Chinese television on Wednesday.
Faced with the “serious consequences” of the earthquake, followed by several aftershocks, Vanuatu declared a state of emergency for seven days as well as a curfew from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. local time (7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. GMT), the spokesperson announced. – government spokesperson.
More than a hundred people, along with rescue equipment, dogs and humanitarian aid, were flown from Australia, New Zealand and New Caledonia to Port Vila, the stricken capital.
