Vanuatu earthquake death toll rises to 14 as rescuers continue search
Rescuers in Vanuatu on Wednesday searched for people still trapped after a 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck the Pacific nation’s capital Port Vila on Tuesday, killing 14 people, and damaging reservoirs, commercial buildings, embassies and a hospital.
At least 200 people are being treated for injuries at the capital’s main hospital and other medical centres with 14 confirmed deaths, a Red Cross official said on X, citing the Vanuatu government.
“Rescue ops continue to free those trapped after the quake, and attention turns to urgent needs like first aid, shelter, and water,” said Katie Greenwood, Head of the Delegation for the Pacific at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
Vanuatu Police said in a statement there had been deaths and many injuries, without giving a number.
National broadcaster VBTC showed people queuing for fuel and essentials on Wednesday morning. Rescue efforts continued at one of the collapsed buildings, Billabong House, where people had been trapped under rubble.
Footage posted on social media showed vehicles crushed under the debris, boulders strewn across a highway and landslips near Port Vila’s international shipping terminal.
Basil Leodoro, an emergency doctor in Vanuatu with health emergency firm Respond Global, said two buildings — Billabong House and a Chinese store — had collapsed, with rescuers trying to save people.
“So far they have been able to remove two casualties,” he said in a social media post, citing police reports.
Concrete pillars on a building hosting foreign missions in the capital, including the U.S., British, French and New Zealand embassies, collapsed in the powerful quake. Triage tents have been set up outside Port Vila’s hospital to manage the influx of patients.
Aftershocks overnight
Several aftershocks, including one of magnitude 6.1, rattled Vanuatu overnight.
“Even just two minutes ago, we had another shock … probably wouldn’t even count how many. Loads and loads of aftershocks throughout the night,” Australian Caroline Bird, who manages a resort in Port Vila, told ABC News on Wednesday.
Caretaker Prime Minister Charlot Salwai said a national disaster committee has declared a state of emergency and imposed a curfew for seven days in the worst-affected areas. International assistance has been sought.
Australia’s Defence Minister Richard Marles said two military planes would fly to Vanuatu on Wednesday morning with a medical assistance team, and a search and rescue team.
“This is a very significant incident and we hold anxiety about how it will unfold,” he told ABC Radio.
New Zealand said it would send a plane to check if aircraft can land in Vanuatu, where the international airport remained closed.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimated 116,000 people, around one-third of the country’s population, had been affected by the earthquake.
Australian Michael Thompson, who runs a zip line adventure business in Vanuatu, said in a post on Facebook that he had been helping to dig people out of the rubble overnight.
“Three people have been removed alive with one in a very serious condition … incredible displays of bravery with people entering confined spaces to conduct rescues,” Thompson said.
