Vanuatu hit by new earthquake, disrupting flight resumption
December 22, 2024
Commercial flights had been set to resume on Sunday before a new earthquake struck the island nation. Aid efforts remained strained because of the difficulty accessing the Pacific island.
Australia had been struggling to bring holidaymakers stranded by the earlier quake home even prior to Sunday's smaller tremorImage: AFP
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A 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck Vanuatu on Sunday morning, hours before a suspension on commercial flights to the island nation was to be lifted.
While Sunday's early-morning earthquake rattled buildings, it did not seem to have caused as much damage as the deadly 7.3 magnitude tremor that had struck on Tuesday.
The US Geological Survey said the quake struck at an estimated depth of around 40 kilometers (roughly 25 miles), with its epicenter some 30 kilometers west of the capital Port Vila. It did not trigger any tsunami alerts.
Earlier on Saturday, an announcement had been made that commercial flights were meant to resume on Sunday to restart the island's vital tourism industry and to try to allow stranded travelers the chance to get home in time for Christmas.
The South Pacific nation declared a seven-day state of emergency and a night curfew following the first quake that remains in place.
Earthquake causes major damage to capital of Vanuatu
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King Charles offers words of condolence after deadly strike
Earlier on Saturday evening, before news of the second earthquake emerged, the United Kingdom's King Charles wrote of his sadness at the loss of the 12 lives from Tuesday's quake.
"My wife and I have been deeply saddened to learn of the magnitude of the earthquake... the loss of life and property which this devastating natural disaster has left in its wake," he said.
"I am aware, from my visit to Vanuatu and Port Vila in 2018, of the extraordinary spirit of ni-Vanuatu, which has been called upon too often in recent years with repeated cyclones and now, with this terrible earthquake."
Earthquake shakes Vanuatu, causing foreign embassies to collapse
Vanuatu, an Island nation in the South Pacific, experienced a severe 7.3 magnitude earthquake. The tremors caused massive damage to the infrastructure.
Image: AFP
Earth tremors cause severe damage
A 7.3-magnitude earthquake shook Port Vila, Vanuatu, on Tuesday. The tremors caused bridges to collapse and destroyed roads. The island nation, with around 300,000 inhabitants, is spread over 83 islands and 1,300 kilometers (800 miles) in the South Pacific.
Image: AFP
Searching for survivors
Firefighters, police officers and paramedics searched for survivors in the rubble after the earthquake — here under a car in a collapsed building in Port Vila. Fourteen people are were reportedly killed in the nation's latest natural disaster. The exact number of fatalities is not yet known.
Image: Vanuatu Police Force/picture alliance
The Ring of Fire in the South Pacific
Vanuatu is one of the island nations on the so-called Ring of Fire, the most geologically active area on Earth. According to the World Risk Report, Vanuatu is number one on the list of countries particularly at risk for disasters. Earthquakes occur almost every year.
Idyll threatened by climate change
Vanuatu is particularly threatened by volcanoes, earthquakes and cyclones. Cyclones repeatedly cause severe damage to buildings and infrastructure, most recently cyclones Judy, Kevin and Lola in 2023. The consequences of climate change are also particularly noticeable in the region and are perceived as a security threat.
Image: Mario Tama/Getty Images
Embassy building destroyed
At least 10 buildings collapsed in Port Vila, including a complex housing the embassies of the United States, New Zealand, France and the United Kingdom. There were also severe landslides that blocked roads and buried a port. The United Nations estimates that the earthquake directly affected around 116,000 people.
Image: AFP
Dangerous rescue operation
A rescue vehicle drives through the streets of Port Vila, where the worst damage was reported. Around 80 people, including police officers, rescue workers and volunteers, worked through the night to rescue three people from a three-story commercial building. Some buildings could not be entered due to an acute risk of collapse.
Image: Tim Cutler X Account/picture alliance
Recovery efforts in full swing
Red Cross volunteers are helping to provide essential supplies and are assisting with the cleanup at the damaged Vila Central Hospital. The Federal Foreign Office advises tourists against unnecessary travel to Vanuatu after the violent earthquake.
Image: Vanuatu Red Cross Society/picture alliance
Help from abroad is on the way
In New Zealand, a Royal New Zealand Air Force plane is loaded with relief supplies. Although the airport in Vanuatu is currently not operational, it can handle incoming humanitarian aid. Air and sea traffic to and from Vanuatu is currently disrupted due to landslides, among other things.
Image: SGT Maria Eves/picture alliance
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Aid efforts remain a challenge
Tuesday's tremor struck the nation's most populous island, Efate, which also toppled concrete buildings and set off landslides in and around the capital of Port Vila.
Vanuatu disaster management officials said 210 injuries had been registered and 1,698 people have been temporarily displaced.
Many buildings collapsed following the first earthquake that struck on TuesdayImage: AFP
With mobile networks still not having returned, contact with the outside has been challenging and complicated aid efforts.
Along with disrupting communications, the first quake on Tuesday damaged water supplies and halted operations at the capital's main shipping port.
Vanuatu is a South Pacific ocean nation made up of a total of around 80 islands, with a population of around 335,000 people, roughly 1,750 kilometers east of Australia.
