Rescue teams at the site of a collapsed building in Port Vila, after a powerful earthquake hit Vanuatu, December 17, 2024 (AFP / STR)
A 7.3 magnitude earthquake struck Vanuatu on Tuesday, causing significant damage and, according to a witness, victims, in this Pacific archipelago particularly vulnerable to natural disasters.
The epicenter of this earthquake detected at 12:47 p.m. local time (01:47 GMT) was recorded at a depth of 43 kilometers at sea, just 30 kilometers west of the capital of this island nation, according to the Institute of Geological Studies of the United States (USGS), triggering a tsunami warning.
“The telephone network was cut,” said Michael Thompson, a resident who managed to reach AFP via a satellite phone.
He said he saw dead bodies in the capital and reported collapsed bridges and landslides caused by the quake. “There were people in the buildings downtown, there were bodies when we passed by,” he said.
The French embassy in Vanuatu was “destroyed” but the diplomatic staff are “safe and sound”, announced the French ambassador in a message posted on X.
The United States embassy “has suffered considerable damage and is closed until further notice”, also indicated the American diplomatic mission in Papua New Guinea on the same network.
The building housing the United States embassy damaged in Port Vila, after a powerful earthquake hit Vanuatu, December 17, 2024 (AFP / STR)
According to images shared on social media, the earthquake toppled a concrete pillar, cracked a wall and distorted windows in the building. The floor “no longer exists. It's completely flat. The three upper floors still stand” but have dropped in height, described Mr. Thompson.
“We are closely monitoring the situation in Vanuatu following this afternoon's devastating earthquake” and “we stand ready to provide support (…) as the extent of the damage is assessed “, said the Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs in a statement on X.
“Vanuatu is a family and we will always be there in times of need,” she added.
– Tsunami alert lifted –
The earthquake led the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) to issue a tsunami alert, which has since been lifted. “Tsunami waves were observed,” the organization said in a bulletin, after initially fearing the arrival of waves up to a meter high along certain coasts of Vanuatu.
Map showing Port Vila, capital of Vanuatu, near which a 7.3 magnitude earthquake struck on December 17 (AFP / John SAEKI)
According to Behzad Fatahi, a civil and earthquake engineer at the University of Technology Sydney, residents now need to be alert for aftershocks, possibly as devastating as the initial quake.
“It is expected” that the earthquake “caused cracks in masonry walls, instability of foundations and the tilting of vulnerable structures,” he explained.
Landslides occurred along a steep hill overlooking the international maritime terminal, according to images verified by AFP.
The port buildings do not appear to have been damaged.
– Flights canceled or diverted –
According to online tracking site Flightradar, no more flights were landing at Port Vila after the disaster.
Australian Pacific airlines such as Qantas, Jetstar, Virgin Airways and Fiji Airways have canceled or diverted flights to Vanuatu.
Rescue teams at the site of a collapsed building in Port Vila, after a powerful earthquake hit Vanuatu, December 17, 2024 (AFP / STR)
“Due to an earthquake near Port Vila, we are currently assessing our operations,” Qantas said on its website.
Earthquakes are common in Vanuatu, a low-lying archipelago of 320,000 people that straddles the Pacific seismic Ring of Fire, an arc of intense tectonic activity that stretches from Southeast Asia to the Pacific Basin.
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.
