Australian teams have been deployed to Vanuatu to assist in the aftermath of the earthquake

Australian teams have been deployed to Vanuatu to assist in a massive search and rescue mission following two powerful earthquakes.

The death toll from the 7.3-magnitude earthquake that shook the island at midday yesterday rose to 14 today.

Army teams joined local residents to search for survivors in Port Vila, where damage was widespread and infrastructure affected, but access was difficult due to frequent aftershocks.

A view of devastation as search and rescue operations continue following a powerful 7.3 magnitude earthquake. (Getty Images)

“The city has been completely cut off from electricity, and the city has been completely cut off from water,” said Clement Chibukolo, World Vision's country director in Vanuatu.

A specialist medical team has arrived from Darwin to assist in the aftermath of tonight's earthquakes.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong said search and rescue teams will work with local authorities to help those trapped in collapsed buildings after the “devastating” quake and a medical team will treat the injured.

Professor Len Notaras, executive director of the National Center for Critical Care and Trauma Response, described the mission as “one of the most significant deployments to the Western Pacific in recent times.”

The 64-person disaster response team includes paramedics, firefighters and engineers.

An aircraft from the RAAF base at Amberley in Queensland has also been deployed to the country equipped with search and rescue equipment.

Australian emergency teams are on the ground in Vanuatu after the devastating earthquake. (Penny Wong/X)

Meanwhile, Australian commercial flights to Vanuatu have been suspended.

Jetstar today suspended its flights and said in a statement that it is monitoring the situation and is expected to update soon.

The airline operates four weekly flights between Sydney and the Vanuatu capital, and anyone who has booked flights between now and January 5 has been urged to contact Jetstar.

Qantas yesterday diverted a flight from Brisbane to Noumea and the return flight was cancelled.

Australian emergency teams are on the ground in Vanuatu after the devastating earthquake. (Penny Wong/X)

The next flight is scheduled for December 20, but the airline said it will evaluate the situation.

The flight suspension comes after reports of damage at Port Vila Airport.

A doctor told local media that about 200 people have arrived at Port Vila Central Hospital to receive treatment for their injuries so far.

A second earthquake shook Vanuatu this morning, even as rescuers cleared rubble to reach trapped survivors.

Following yesterday's 7.3 magnitude earthquake which caused widespread devastation, Geosciences Australia has confirmed that a second aftershock occurred at 5.17am AEDT this morning.

The earthquake reached a magnitude of 6 and occurred at a depth of 72 kilometers.

9News understands the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is aware of several Australians present in the area affected by the first earthquake.

The Red Cross announced the death of 14 people early today, citing government sources.

Widespread damage to communications and other infrastructure hampered the issuance of official reports. Phone service remained down.

Aid is on the way from Australia, including medical assistance and an urban rescue team.

At least 14 people have died after a devastating earthquake struck Vanuatu. (AP)

The tsunami warning was canceled less than two hours after the quake.

As communications continued to be cut off after hours and official information was scarce, witness accounts of the victims began to appear on social media and through irregular phone calls.

The quake struck just before 1pm at a depth of 57km, with its epicenter 30km west of Port Vila, the largest city in Vanuatu – a group of 80 islands inhabited by about 330,000 people.

This was followed by a 5.5 magnitude aftershock near the same location, with tremors continuing throughout the afternoon and evening.

Landslide near an international shipping terminal in Port Vila, Vanuatu. (AP)

Hundreds of people have been injured, Katie Greenwood, head of the Fiji-based Pacific Red Cross, said in a post on X.

She added that the main hospital in Vanuatu was damaged and the water supply was disrupted.

The UN Office for Humanitarian Affairs said access to the airport and seaport was “severely limited due to damage to roads,” which could impact aid delivery efforts.

Residents have been urged to stay away from coastlines for at least 24 hours – and until tsunami and earthquake monitoring systems are up and running again.

People were trapped under the rubble. (AP)

Videos on social media showed rescue efforts throughout the night for people trapped in buildings, including a three-story building that collapsed to its lower floors.

Amanda Laithwaite said her husband was among rescuers searching for eight people who could hear their screams inside, but their progress was slow.

Her husband, Michael Thompson, wrote on Facebook that three people were pulled alive from the rubble overnight.

In one of the videos he shared, there was a woman covered in dust lying on a stretcher.

Military personnel and civilians worked with tools and shovels, Thompson said.

A damaged building was seen in Port Vila. (AP)

Dan McGarry, a journalist based in Vanuatu, told The Associated Press that the country does not have the capacity to deal with a mass casualty event.

He had visited Vila Central Hospital, where a video released by the Vanuatu Broadcasting Corporation showed crowds outside.

He added that doctors were working “as quickly as possible” at the triage center outside the emergency ward.

A building housing a number of diplomatic missions in Port Vila – including those of the United States, Britain, France and New Zealand – was severely damaged.

The US Embassy said that all employees are fine, but the building is closed until further notice.

“The building housing the US Embassy in Port Vila is not fit for operations,” she said in a statement.

“We are currently evaluating options to continue our work in Vanuatu. All U.S. Embassy staff, as well as Peace Corps staff and volunteers, are safe and accounted for.”

The office was opened in July as part of a US drive to expand its presence in the Pacific to counter China's influence in the region.

New Zealand's Foreign Ministry said officials had identified all but two of its embassy staff. The Australian Foreign Ministry said its employees were fine.

The earthquake occurred shortly before one o'clock in the afternoon at a depth of 57 kilometers. (AP)

McGarry said a “massive landslide” at the international shipping terminal would likely hamper the recovery process. He added that the airport runway was also damaged.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on X that her government was “preparing to deploy immediate aid to Vanuatu from tomorrow, including urban search and rescue teams and emergency medical teams.”

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it looked forward to confirming the impact of the earthquake and investigating whether any Australians were affected. (nine)

Crowds outside the hospital

A video posted by the Vanuatu Broadcasting Corporation showed crowds outside the hospital.

The phone numbers of the police, hospital and other public bodies were not reached.

Vanuatu has had four prime ministers in four years, and is scheduled to go to the polls in January for early elections.

In November, Prime Minister Charlotte Salloway asked President Nikinike Voruparavu to dissolve Parliament so that he would not have to face a vote of no confidence as his recent predecessors had done.

But Vanuatu is accustomed to natural disasters, including the devastation caused by cyclones and volcanic eruptions.

Its location in the subduction zone – where the Indo-Australian tectonic plate moves beneath the Pacific plate – means that earthquakes of magnitude greater than 6 are not uncommon and the country's buildings are designed to withstand earthquake damage.

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