A strong 7.3 magnitude earthquake struck near Vanuatu's capital Port Vila, damaging buildings and other infrastructure.
The earthquake occurred at 12:47 p.m. local time (01:47 GMT) at a depth of 10 km, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
That briefly triggered a tsunami warning in parts of the Pacific island nation, but authorities said at 2:14 p.m. local time that the threat had passed.
The number of victims is unknown. Images posted on social media show collapsed buildings, cars hit by fallen panels and furniture scattered on the floors of homes.
The American embassy in Port Vila was among the damaged buildings, according to photographs posted online.
Michael Thompson, director of Vanuatu Jungle Zipline adventure company, said communications in the area were “really spotty” and he had set up a Starlink network near his home so the public could access the internet .
“Several buildings have collapsed around the city. A large rescue operation is underway to evacuate people who may be alive in the building,” he said in a video posted on Facebook.
“Most communications are gone.”
The USGS reported at least four aftershocks around Port Vila – with magnitudes ranging from 4.7 to 5.5 – in the two hours after the first quake.
Authorities in neighboring New Zealand and Australia said there was no tsunami threat to their countries.
