“Very strong earthquake in Vanuatu, embassy destroyed (torn in two, ground floor of embassy crushed), staff safe and sound but numerous victims in the country, flights suspended, communications cut, no water or electricity, let’s organize relief” , indicated Jean-Baptiste Jeangène Vilmer.
The epicenter of this earthquake detected at 12:47 p.m. local time (2:47 a.m. in Paris) was recorded at a depth of 43 kilometers at sea, just 30 kilometers west of the capital of this island nation, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), issuing a tsunami warning.
There would be several victims
A resident, Michael Thompson, told Agence France Presse that he had seen dead bodies in the capital Port Vila. He reported collapsed bridges and landslides caused by the earthquake. “There were people in the buildings downtown, there were bodies when we passed by,” he said.
The United States embassy, located in the same building as the French embassy in Port Vila, “has suffered considerable damage and is closed until further notice,” the American diplomatic mission in Papua New said. -Guinea in a press release on
A building housing several embassies, including that of the United States.
STR/AFP
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 top three floors are still standing” but have fallen in height, Mr. Thompson described.
France ready to contribute to “relief operations”
France stands “alongside the Vanuatu authorities” and is prepared “to contribute to relief operations” if they request it, announced the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The French authorities, who have armed forces 600 kilometers away in New Caledonia with particularly aerial means, are able to lend a helping hand.
“The teams from our embassy on site, diplomatic posts in the region in conjunction with the crisis and support center of the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs are fully mobilized to provide assistance to French nationals”, also indicated the Quai d’Orsay in a press release. Some 2,300 French people live in Vanuatu, a diplomatic source further specified.
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