Devastating Earthquake Shakes Vanuatu: Capital in Crisis

A powerful earthquake of magnitude 7.4 hit Vanuatu's capital, Port Vila, causing significant damage to buildings and infrastructure. At least one fatality and several injuries have been reported. International embassies sustained damage, and communication outages were widespread. Numerous aftershocks followed, but a tsunami warning was later canceled.

A powerful 7.4 magnitude earthquake rocked Vanuatu's capital, Port Vila, on Tuesday, leaving destruction in its wake. Buildings and cars were damaged, and tragic reports confirm at least one death. The state broadcaster, VBTC, displayed footage of crushed vehicles beneath a collapsed building along a busy retail street.

According to local police, multiple people were injured and taken to the hospital. Journalist Dan McGarry, a long-time resident and member of the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, shared that this was the most violent earthquake he had experienced in over two decades in the region.

Landslides blocked major routes, including the road linking Port Vila to its primary shipping terminal. Social media depicted significant structural damage, such as buckled windows and collapsed pillars at foreign embassies. Communication outages plagued the country, complicating initial reports and casualty confirmations.

(With inputs from agencies.)