People trapped under collapsed buildings were rescued in Vanuatu's capital Port Vila as witnesses say they fled the powerful 7.3-magnitude earthquake that struck the Pacific nation on Tuesday, killing 14 people and injuring 200 others. Rescue teams are rushing towards the
At least 200 people were being treated for injuries in the capital's main hospital and other medical centers, and 14 people were confirmed dead, a Red Cross official told X, citing the Vanuatu government.
Of the 14 confirmed deaths, six died in the landslide, four in the collapsed Billabong building and four at the Billabong Central Hospital, according to a report by the National Disaster Management Authority.
Chinese Ambassador Li Minggang told state media on Wednesday that two Chinese nationals were among the dead.
Images from Port Vila show parts of the capital suffering heavy damage, with some buildings flattened or collapsed on top of vehicles. The country's caretaker Prime Minister Charlotte Salwai declared a seven-day state of emergency.
Vanuatu Business Resilience Council chairman Glenn Craig said at least one person had been pulled from the rubble on Wednesday morning and rescue workers were in contact with those who remained trapped. Ta.
“They saw one this morning and we know there are a couple more out there and they are doing well and will be able to get out,” he told the Guardian.
Mr Craig said urgent requests had been sent to the New Zealand and Australian governments for more search and rescue personnel, machinery and engineers to inspect buildings and bridges.
Craig was in the tallest building in Port Vila when the first earthquake struck. “It was a generational thing. It was awful. Usually it's five or six seconds after you hear something like a train coming,” he said.
“I was with my wife and we looked at each other when we got hit and ran and struggled to get to the door and got out but we had a little problem getting down the stairs. I It threw us down there rather than us getting down there. I don't know how the building didn't fall on us,” he said.
“It was really, really aggressive. We were just looking at each other like, 'Oh my god.' If it had been 10 seconds longer, or an extra point or two, I wouldn't be talking to you today. ”
Ivan Oswald, who has lived in Port Vila for more than 20 years, said the earthquake was scary for his family.
“I was at my home, almost in the middle of town,” he said. “My kids had a play date with other kids there, so they were very scared and traumatized… They were still having issues this morning.”
Footage from Oswald's waterside Namba Bay Cafe shows the moment the quake struck, with people thrown to the ground and heavy furniture shaking violently.
He said teams such as emergency services NGO Promedical were exhausted from working around the clock, and unconfirmed reports from hospitals showed the death toll was rising.
“It's really sad,” he said, “and it doesn't look very pretty on the ground.”
Michael Thompson, a Port Vila resident, told AFP by satellite phone that several people had called out to him from beneath the remains of a flattened three-storey store in the capital.
“There's tons of debris on top of it. And two pretty important concrete beams have collapsed into a pancake,” he said. “Obviously, they were lucky to be in a bit of a vacuum.”
About 80 people, including police, medical workers, trained rescue workers and volunteers, “used everything they could get their hands on,” including excavators, jackhammers, grinders and concrete saws, he said.
Earthquakes are not uncommon in Vanuatu, an island nation of about 330,000 people, but Tuesday's quake was felt to be the strongest in decades.
One particularly damaged building housed the offices of the British, French and New Zealand high commissions, as well as the US embassy on the ground floor, which was “pancaked,” Craig said. , added that they were not aware of any deaths caused by the building.
The incident occurred during lunch, and many embassy staff were reportedly outside the building.
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The earthquake was followed by at least one aftershock late Tuesday and another with a magnitude of 5.5 on Wednesday morning. Power and communications remained cut off Wednesday, and the airport was closed.
Katie Greenwood, head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies' mission in the Pacific, said: “As rescue efforts continue to free people trapped after the earthquake, urgent needs such as first aid, shelter and water are in the spotlight. They're gathering,” he said.
Craig said parts of the capital appeared normal, with long lines at gas stations, but was able to communicate using Starlink satellite internet connections and solar power.
“Most of Port Vila is fine,” he said. “When you look at the number of people queuing for petrol, you know something is wrong. The queues for petrol in Port Vila are comparable to the queues for toilet paper in Australia during the coronavirus outbreak. .”
Australia and New Zealand are also among the countries that have pledged help, with New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters saying on Wednesday that his country was standing by to provide medical, defense and humanitarian aid to Vanuatu.
“New Zealand military surveillance aircraft will be flying over Vanuatu this morning to help assess the damage caused by the earthquake,” Mr Peters said. “We are also proposing to send urban search and rescue teams and relief supplies to Vanuatu as soon as Port Vila’s airport reopens.”
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the government was preparing to deploy immediate assistance to Vanuatu today.
Speaking in London, he said Australia would send emergency medical teams and urban search and rescue teams to the island. A helpline has been set up to help Australians who may be affected by the disaster.
“We will provide whatever support is needed. I say to the people of Vanuatu, you are family and Australia is here to help,” she said.
The disaster also occurred during a period of political turmoil in the Melanesian country. Salwai dissolved parliament last month, setting the stage for a snap election on January 14, but opposition members only raised constitutional objections to his move.
Salwai has declared a seven-day state of emergency and instituted a curfew from 6pm to 6am, except for essential services.
Craig said on Wednesday that the beleaguered Pacific nation was on track to recover as soon as possible, with power and communications restored later in the day and airports expected to reopen by Friday.
“Vanuatu, poor old man, you can’t catch a break right now. COVID-19 struck, then Vanuatu went bankrupt, then last year we had three cyclones, and we’re looking forward to a good tourist season.” “And then something like this happened,” he said. “So we're really trying to get through this as quickly as possible.”
– With an agency
