Rescuers Look for Survivors After Vanuatu Quake Kills 14

Greenwatch Desk Earthquake 2024-12-18, 9:20am

Rescue teams in Vanuatu scrambled to find survivors after a powerful 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck the Pacific nation on Tuesday, killing at least 14 people. Many victims were trapped in rubble and landslides, particularly in the capital, Port Vila, where rescuers worked overnight to clear debris.

Michael Thompson, a local resident, described the desperate efforts as teams used excavators, jackhammers, and grinders to search through a collapsed three-storey building. "We managed to pull out three people, but sadly, one didn’t survive," Thompson said. "When the site went quiet, we heard three voices signaling they were alive."

Rescue efforts were complicated by the scale of the destruction, with tons of rubble and large concrete beams trapping people. The earthquake, which struck at 12:47 p.m. local time, also triggered major landslides and caused widespread structural damage across the island nation.

Australia and New Zealand swiftly pledged to send medical and search teams to assist with the aftermath, while Vanuatu’s disaster management office reported extensive damage. The quake left four dead at Port Vila's hospital, six in a landslide, and four in a collapsed shop. Among the deceased were two Chinese nationals.

The tremor also devastated critical infrastructure, with at least 10 buildings, including the main hospital, severely damaged. Two major water reserves supplying Port Vila were destroyed, and the airport was rendered non-operational, though it could still accommodate humanitarian aid.

Thompson, who witnessed the aftermath, described scenes of chaos, including screams coming from a collapsed four-storey building. "I drove by and heard people calling for help from within," he said. "The destruction is unimaginable."

As aftershocks continued to rattle the island, the United Nations estimated that 116,000 people could be affected by the quake. Immediate humanitarian efforts are underway, but access and communication challenges persist. In Port Vila, injured survivors were seen being carried to makeshift treatment areas in a desperate bid for medical care.

Vanuatu, part of the Pacific’s earthquake-prone "Ring of Fire," is no stranger to natural disasters, with its residents regularly facing the threat of earthquakes, tsunamis, and other extreme weather events.