A powerful 7.3 magnitude earthquake struck Vanuatu's capital Port Vila on Tuesday, with footage showing several buildings collapsing and causing “significant damage” to a common diplomatic mission.
The quake struck 30 kilometers west of the capital at a depth of 57.1 kilometers, and was followed by a 5.5-magnitude aftershock nearby, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
The U.S. Tsunami Warning System has lifted its initial tsunami warning for Vanuatu, a group of 80 islands that is home to about 330,000 people.
It was not immediately clear how much damage had been done, as phone lines and government websites remained down and official channels were not updating, but widespread destruction was reported hours after the quake. Reports began appearing on social media, the Associated Press reported.
A Fiji Red Cross spokeswoman said workers at the scene had reported significant damage. A video shared by Vanuatu Broadcasting Television showed a crowd outside the Vila Central Hospital trying to put the injured on stretchers.
Telephone numbers for police, hospitals, and other public institutions could not be reached. Reports of casualties were not immediately confirmed.
Videos posted on social media showed crumpled buildings in Port Vila, including one collapsed onto a car.
New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the building in Port Vila, which houses several diplomatic missions from the United States, United Kingdom, France and New Zealand, suffered major damage. A spokeswoman said officials were still working on accounting for New Zealand High Commission staff.
Videos posted on social media showed the building with some structural damage, including buckled windows and debris falling from walls to the ground. Other photos and videos showed products and shelves on store floors and a landslide that appeared to block some roads.
The United States has closed its embassy in Vanuatu due to “significant harm” to its mission, according to the embassy in Papua New Guinea. “The U.S. Embassy in Port Vila has sustained significant damage and is closed until further notice,” it said in a statement on social media. “Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this earthquake.”
Videos shared on social media also showed footage of landslides caused by the earthquake.
Non-profit humanitarian organization Care Australia said in a statement that many large buildings in Port Vila had collapsed, causing power and water outages in large parts of the capital.
Professor Meghan Miller, from the Australian National University's School of Geosciences, said the earthquake was likely to have caused “moderate damage” because it struck an area with high seismic activity.
“This region of tectonic plates is one of the most seismically active plate boundaries in the world,” she said. “The epicenter was quite deep, about 57km, which means there was no tsunami.”But…the island experienced very strong shaking, probably resulting in moderate damage to structures. ”
According to the Associated Press, New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said 37 New Zealanders were registered as residents in Vanuatu, but did not provide further details about their status.
