Vanuatu hit by 7.3 magnitude earthquake; “numerous victims in the country”, according to the French ambassador

A magnitude 7.3 earthquake occurred on Tuesday, December 17, off the coast of Vanuatu, in the Pacific, announced the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The epicenter of the earthquake (initially measured at 7.4 magnitude) was recorded at a depth of 43 kilometers, but only thirty kilometers west of the island nation’s capital, Port Vila. located more than 600 kilometers northeast of New Caledonia. No assessment was currently available but the French ambassador to Vanuatu spoke of “ numerous victims in the country.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a brief tsunami alert, which was quickly lifted.

The earthquake severely damaged the building housing the American and French embassies in Port Vila. The French embassy was “destroyed”announced in a message on X the French ambassador, Jean-Baptiste Jeangène Vilmer, who describes a building “torn in two”. The staff is “safe and sound” but Mr. Jeangène Vilmer points out “many victims in the country”, of the “suspended flights”communications cut and “neither water nor electricity”. “Let’s organize relief”concludes the ambassador.

American embassy closed

The United States Embassy also “sustained considerable damage and is closed until further notice”announced the American diplomatic mission in Papua New Guinea in a press release on X. “All staff were able to evacuate the building”she added. According to the French ambassador, the ground floor of the American embassy was ” crushed “.

“We are closely monitoring the situation in Vanuatu” et “We are ready to provide our support (…) as the extent of the damage is assessed”declared the Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs in a press release on X. “Vanuatu is a family and we will always be there in times of need”she added.

Earthquakes are common in Vanuatu, a low-lying archipelago of 320,000 people that straddles the seismic Pacific Ring of Fire, an arc of intense tectonic activity, stretching from Southeast Asia to the Basin of the Pacific. 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.