“It was the most violent earthquake I have ever felt in my 21 years living in Vanuatu and the Pacific Islands. I’ve seen a lot of big earthquakes, but never one like this,” journalist Dan McGarry told Reuters.
At least one person died and several were injured this Tuesday after an earthquake measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale hit the capital of Vanuatu, Porto Vila.
Police confirmed that at least one person was found dead and several injured people were taken to hospital, according to Reuters.
“It was the most violent earthquake I have ever felt in my 21 years living in Vanuatu and the Pacific Islands. I’ve seen a lot of big earthquakes, but never one like this,” journalist Dan McGarry told the news outlet.
The road connecting Porto Vila to the international port was blocked due to a landslide and the earthquake also caused communication failures across the island nation, with government websites being affected.
At the time of the earthquake, the USGS warned of the possibility of a tsunami. Hours later, the alert was cancelled. Authorities from the United States, Australia and New Zealand also confirmed that there was no danger of a tsunami in their territories.
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong confirmed that Australia is closely monitoring the situation after the “devastating earthquake”.
“We stand ready to support Vanuatu as the extent of the damage is assessed. Vanuatu is a family and we will always be there in times of need,” he said in a statement cited by Reuters.
The US embassy in Vanuatu has been closed “until further notice” after the earthquake caused “considerable damage” to the building, according to announced the US embassy in Papua New Guinea, in a message posted on the social network X.
In the same post, the embassy advised Americans in Vanuatu to contact the United States diplomatic representation in Papua New Guinea “if they require assistance.”
