Australia sends “immediate” search and rescue aid to Vanuatu in the wake of the powerful earthquake

At least six people have died after a 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck near Vanuatu's capital Port Vila, according to local media and the United Nations.

A Port Vila hospital official told Vanuatu national broadcaster VBTC that more than 50 were injured.

Australia is sending urgent aid to Vanuatu where the death toll is expected to rise as search and rescue teams work to reach people trapped under collapsed buildings.

Australian Government Emergency Centre

Australians in Vanuatu affected by the earthquake can contact the 24-hour Consular Emergency Center by calling +61 6261 3305 from overseas or 1300 555 135 from Australia.

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the quake caused “significant damage,” adding that Australia would send urban search and rescue teams as well as emergency medical aid to assist in recovery efforts.

“We are closely monitoring the situation and stand ready to provide further assistance to the people of Vanuatu when the extent of the damage becomes clear,” Senator Wong said in a joint statement with Matt Keogh, Acting Secretary for International Development.

“Australia and Vanuatu share a deep and enduring partnership. We are family and will always be there in times of need.”

Search and rescue teams worked throughout the night to reach people believed to be trapped under the collapsed buildings. (Michael Thompson: Available)

Local business owner Michael Thompson described “chaotic” scenes in Port Vila overnight as rescuers searched for people believed to be trapped under destroyed buildings.

He added: “We learned that there are eight people trapped inside and that they are trying to move slowly to get in.”

Search and rescue teams worked throughout the night in Port Vila, where electricity and communications were also affected. (Michael Thompson: Available)

Hospital 'struggling to cope'

Clement Chibukulu of World Vision Vanuatu told ABC's The World program that he expected the death toll from the quake to rise due to the severity of the damage.

“There has been very significant damage. We noticed as we were walking around a number of buildings that were completely flattened. So we imagine there are still some people under those buildings,” Chibukolo said.

“There is an active search and rescue mission ongoing at the moment.

“We are aware that Port Vila Hospital is completely full… and they are struggling to cope.”

Mr Chibukolo said damage to critical infrastructure such as electricity and telephone lines was hampering recovery efforts.

“The lights are completely out,” Chibukolo said. “We have no water in all parts of the city, and most of our communication systems are down.”

He added: “We expect the number of deaths to continue to rise, given the number of people being treated as victims.”

Locals describe 'mass casualty incident'

Glenn Craig, president of the Vanuatu Business Resilience Council, described the devastation he saw from his car across the city.

“At this point, we believe there are about 10 buildings that have collapsed around the Port Vila area,” he said.

He warned that the situation was likely to be a “mass casualty event” with several retail buildings around the airport, the dock area and the city centre destroyed, and communications infrastructure also damaged.

“We've seen the dead being pulled out of downtown retail stores, like the Billabong Building,” he said.

“We don't know if [the main communications cable] “It was damaged, but we know the cable center on Miller Road was damaged.”

He added that the main telecommunications company hopes to restore the network to work “within two hours.”

Buildings housing the diplomatic missions of New Zealand, France, the United Kingdom and the United States were damaged by the earthquake. (Supplied: Glenn Craig)

Elsewhere in Port Vila, Craig saw cars crushed by the impact of falling debris.

He said there was an urgent need for international assistance, especially engineers and search and rescue teams.

Office in downtown Port Vila affected by the earthquake. (Supplied: Glenn Craig)

Craig said stranded tourists had moved to safer places, including diplomatic missions.

“There are at least 50 to 100 tourists at the Australian High Commission,” he said.

Data from the US Geological Survey showed that six aftershocks struck Vanuatu following the initial quake.

Why are earthquakes common in Vanuatu?

While Vanuatu frequently experiences seismic activity, Tuesday's earthquake is considered one of the strongest in recent years.

Local journalist Dan McGarry said many of them were heavy enough to be felt in Port Vila.

“There was one that had us all crouched down and ready to move again. But none of them were close to the initial shock,” he said.

McGarry described some of the buildings as “devastated.”

“There are too many walls coming down, and there's one building that I saw for sure that collapsed in the middle of the city — it was destroyed,” he said.

“There are visible cracks in many buildings throughout the city, old and new. Everyone will have to do a little inventory.”

Vanuatu is ranked as one of the countries most vulnerable to natural disasters such as earthquakes, storm damage, floods and tsunamis, according to the annual Global Risks Report.

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos