The earthquake caused great damage in Vanuatu. The intensity of the earthquake was 7.3 degrees, and the center of the earthquake was very close to the capital Port Vila. At least one person died. We got a witness at Kontakt24.
The earthquake with a magnitude of 7.3 occurred on Tuesday afternoon local time. The earthquake occurred at a depth of 57.1 km, and the epicenter was only 30 km from the capital of Vanuatu, Port Vila. A tsunami warning was issued immediately after the earthquake, but was later cancelled.
Big damage
The earthquake caused great damage to the city. The road connecting Port Vila with the main port was completely closed as a result of the landslide. Photos of cars under the collapsed building appeared on social networks. Local television reported that one person was trapped under the rubble.
Other videos posted on social media showed the concrete pillars of the building that houses the US, British, French and New Zealand embassies. A spokesman for the US embassy in Papua New Guinea said the embassy in Port Vila “suffered significant damage” and was closed until further notice.
The injured were taken to the hospital. Police reported that at least one person died from their injuries.
“We have electricity from a generator, it could go out at a moment's notice”
At Kontakt24, we heard from an earthquake witness. Our editor was contacted by Mr. Dariush, who is currently on vacation in Vanuatu.
– Paradise on earth suddenly turns into hell. Next to us, exactly 3 kilometers away, an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.3 occurred. We were just returning from Port Vila, 15 minutes after leaving the city, we were thrown from the seats of the bus on the side road, – he wrote in the message he sent to us.
Then there were several earthquakes. “We arrived at the resort on the ocean coast, and due to the threat of a tsunami, an immediate evacuation was announced. We were all taken away. After about an hour, the threat of a return wave was declared insignificant,” he said.
As Mr. Daryush said, after returning to the resort, it became clear that there was also damage there. “In one of the bungalows, the wall collapsed, everything that was loose moved or broke. Our house was a complete mess, the wardrobe was lying on the beds, the rest of the things were a mess. Now we feel the aftershocks all the time. “.
Reporter24 said he flew to New Zealand on Wednesday. “We don't know what's going on, the airport is closed, the communication is barely live. The transmission tower is damaged. We have power from the generator, it might go out at some point, Wi-Fi too. We don't know. mobile network have it,” he added.
Damage after the earthquake in Vanuatu
Main photo source: Dariush / Kontakt24
