Powerful Earthquake Strikes Near Vanuatu Capital; Tsunami Threat Passes

A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck near the Vanuatu capital of Port Vila on Tuesday, causing damage to buildings and disrupting communications, Al Jazeera reports, citing the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

Initial reports placed the quake’s epicenter 22.9 miles from Port Vila at a depth of 6.2 miles, but later reports revised the depth to 26.7 miles. A magnitude 5.5 aftershock followed shortly after.

Footage circulating on social media shows significant damage to a building housing several foreign embassies in Port Vila, including those of the US, France, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. The images reveal buckled windows and collapsed concrete pillars. While there have been no immediate reports of casualties, the US Embassy in Port Moresby confirmed that the US Embassy in Port Vila sustained considerable damage and will remain closed until further notice.

The earthquake caused widespread communication outages. Vanuatu government websites were offline, and phone lines for police and other public agencies were unavailable. Social media channels for the country’s geohazards agency and the prime minister’s office remained silent following the quake.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre initially issued a tsunami warning after observing waves, but later lifted the threat for several neighboring islands including Fiji, the Kermadec Islands, Kiribati, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, and Wallis and Futuna. Authorities in Australia and New Zealand also confirmed no tsunami threat to their respective countries.

The Australian Red Cross has indicated preparedness to assist if needed, stating that trained teams are ready to deploy with pre-positioned relief supplies.