Buildings collapse and landslides after 7.3 magnitude Vanuatu earthquake
A 7.3 magnitude earthquake has struck near Vanuatu’s capital Port Vila, triggering landslides, crushing cars and flattening multiple buildings, including a complex that is home to a number of Western embassies.
There are unconfirmed reports of deaths but the full extent of the damage remains unclear, as power and mobile networks across the country remain cut off.
Dan McGarry, a journalist living in Port Vila, said hospital authorities had told him at least one person had died. He had seen “several people who were visibly, seriously injured” outside the emergency unit.
Vanuatu is prone to earthquakes, but Mr McGarry told the BBC the quake had felt like “the biggest one… in more than 20 years”.
The quake struck at 12: 47 local time (01: 47 GMT) on Tuesday.
“Emergency services are going to be busy for a while. We have limited equipment and capabilities here,” Mr McGarry said, adding that police at the Vila Central Hospital had told him one person had died, and the number of deaths was expected to rise.
One of the clips from state broadcaster VBTC’s Facebook page showed dozens of people outside the Vila Central Hospital, many lying on hospital gurneys awaiting treatment.
Michael Thompson, director of the Vanuatu Jungle Zipline adventure company, told AFP news agency that he had seen bodies lying in the streets.
“There’s multiple buildings that have com
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