Fourteen Dead in Vanuatu as Search for Earthquake Survivors Continues

As search crews sift through mountains of debris in an effort to find survivors, the number of fatalities from Tuesday’s earthquake in Vanuatu has increased to 14.

Strong aftershocks after the 7.3-magnitude earthquake were recorded overnight, and another 200 people are receiving medical attention for injuries.

The US, French, UK, and New Zealand embassies were among the structures destroyed by the earthquake. Power and mobile services were also interrupted.

According to Vanuatu police, a seven-day state of emergency has been imposed to restrict public travel while relief and search efforts are being conducted.

According to the authorities, four of the victims passed away in a hospital in Port Vila, the capital. Four were from a building collapse, where the death toll was predicted to increase, and six were from a landslide.

Li Minggang, the Chinese Ambassador to Vanuatu, told state media that two of the victims were Chinese nationals.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the worst effects of the earthquake might affect an estimated 116,000 people.

Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles told ABC News on Wednesday that personnel from neighboring Australia would join the search and rescue operation. Aid has also been promised by the US and France.

Rescuers were seen burrowing beneath the floors of collapsed buildings and manually sorting through debris in photos posted by Vanuatu Police on Facebook.

The government’s disaster management office reported “major structural damage” to at least ten buildings in Port Vila.

Michael Thompson, a native of Vanuatu, told the AFP news agency that rescuers heard the voices of at least three people from the wreckage of a single three-story structure.

According to Thompson, rescuers utilized “everything we can get our hands on” to save lives, such as concrete saws, jack hammers, and grinders.

Many Port Vila businesses were closed on Wednesday, according to images from state broadcaster VBTC. Debris was also seen on the sidewalk and some roadways were damaged.

There were some individuals saw searching for necessary goods.

A brief tsunami warning was issued after the earthquake on Tuesday at 12:47 local time (01:47 GMT).

West of Fiji and thousands of kilometers east of northern Australia is the low-lying South Pacific archipelago of Vanuatu, which consists of about 80 islands.

The country is vulnerable to frequent major earthquakes and other natural disasters because it is located in an area that is seismically active.