Devastating scenes in Vanuatu as search-and-rescue mission steps up after 7.3 magnitude earthquake

Officials are racing to find a number of Aussies stuck in Vanuatu after a deadly earthquake flattened buildings and cut communication links.

The government is working to make contact with a number of Australians in Vanuatu in the wake of a devastating earthquake that struck the Pacific nation.

The death toll from Tuesday’s mammoth 7.3 magnitude quake has risen to 14, with hundreds of people injured and the main hospital in Port Vila “struggling to cope”.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it’s aware of “a number” of Australians in the region.

A number of buildings have been flattened, with a desperate search-and-rescue operation underway to free people trapped beneath rubble.
Vital water, power and communications links have been severed, hampering efforts, while the international airport is closed and all flights in and out of Vanuatu cancelled.

A number of buildings have sustained significant damage. Picture: AFP

A desperate search-and-rescue mission is unfolding. Picture: AFP

A landslide at the international shipping terminal in Port Vila has suspended operations. Picture: AP

International aid organisations fear the death toll will rise in coming days.

Michael Thompson, who runs a business in the capital, described the “chaotic” aftermath as rescuers desperately search for survivors among the destruction.

“We understand there are eight people trapped inside and the guys are trying to move slowly to get in,” Mr Thompson told ABC News.

“It’s not a good scene.”

Later, in a post shared to Facebook, Mr Thompson said three people were pulled from collapsed buildings overnight and rushed to hospital.

Hundreds of people have been injured and Clement Chipokolo from World Vision Vanuatu told ABC Radio show The World that the number of causalities has been overwhelming.

“There’s quite significant damage that has occurred. We observed as we drove around a number of building that were flattened completely,” Mr Chipokolo said.

“We imagine that there are still some people that are under those buildings.”

Local authorities have categorised the quake as a “mass casualty event”.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the government has deployed urgent aid to Vanuatu. Picture: Jacquelin Magnay

Basic aid, including clean drinking water, are urgently needed, and vital communications and electricity infrastructure has been impacted, hampering rescue co-ordination efforts.

Vanuatu’s government has declared a state of emergency and imposed a curfew from 6pm to 6am for the next seven days.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Australia is deploying immediate emergency assistance, including urban search-and-rescue teams and medical personnel.

“We are closely monitoring the situation and stand ready to provide further assistance to the people of Vanuatu as the extent of damage becomes clear,” Senator Wong said.

“Australia and Vanuatu share a deep and enduring partnership. We are family and we will always be there in times of need.”

A building that’s home to several diplomatic missions, including the United States, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, has been damaged.

New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said two of its local staff are unaccounted for.

The US Embassy in Port Vilal has been significantly damaged. Picture: Michael Thompson

Vanuatu comprises some 80 islands and has a population of about 320,000 and sits within the so-called ‘Ring of Fire’ seismic zone.

“Port Vila, with a population of around 50,000, is the closest major urban area to the epicentre and likely experienced the strongest impacts,” Professor Behzad Fatahi, a civil and earthquake engineering expert at the University of Technology Sydney, said.

The epicentre of the quake was about 30 kilometres from the capital city. It registered at a depth of 57 kilometres.

“It is expected that this very strong ground motion near Port Vila has caused cracks in masonry walls, foundation instability, and tilting of vulnerable structures, especially in areas with soft soil,” Professor Fatahi said.

“Secondary hazards, such as soil liquefaction and landslides, are also concerns, particularly in coastal cliffs and hilly areas west of Port Vila, where ground instability could worsen with aftershocks.”

The inside of a building damaged is seen in Port Vila following a powerful earthquake. Picture: Tim Cutler via AP

A look inside a damaged business in Port Vila. Picture: Tim Cutler via Getty

The magnitude of the earthquake is comparable to the eruption of Mount Saint Helens in 1980, Associate Professor Fabio Capitanio from Monash University’s School of Earth Atmosphere and Environment at Monash University said.

“The damage associated to such high energy earthquakes is expectedly large, although this area has a record of low seismic damage,” Dr Capitanio said.

The United Nations has reported access to the international airport in Port Vila has been “severely limited due to road damage”.

And foreign correspondent Dan McGarry told Associated Press that part of the airport’s runway is also damaged.

Those in need of help are urged to contact the Australian Government’s 24-hour Consular Emergency Centre on [phone].