A powerful 7.3-magnitude earthquake causes widespread damage on the Pacific island of Vanuatu

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — A powerful 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Vanuatu on Tuesday, causing widespread devastation in the South Pacific island nation as injured people began arriving at hospital and unconfirmed reports of casualties emerged.

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.

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The quake struck just before 1 p.m. at a depth of 57 kilometers (35 miles) and was centered 30 kilometers west of Port Vila, the largest city in Vanuatu — a group of 80 islands home to 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.

It was not immediately clear the extent of the damage resulting from telephone lines and government websites remaining down. In the first official information posted on social media, the Geological Hazards Department said its monitoring systems remained offline due to a power outage.

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. There have been no confirmed reports of damage or injuries, but accounts detailing widespread destruction have leaked on social media and in interviews.

Crowds outside the hospital

Dan McGarry, a journalist based in Port Vila, told the Associated Press that he heard about the death of a police officer outside Vila Central Hospital. McGarry said he saw three people on stretchers “in apparent distress.”

He added that doctors were working “as quickly as possible” at the triage center outside the emergency ward. McGarry said the nation was not prepared for an event that would result in large numbers of casualties.

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.

A video posted on social media shows collapsed buildings in Port Vila, including one whose basements collapsed and cars parked in the street below. Amanda Laithwaite said her husband was among a group of rescuers trying to move the roof of the three-storey building because they believed people were trapped inside, but their progress was slow without specialized machines.

Elsewhere, a building housing a number of diplomatic missions in Port Vila – including those of the United States, Britain, France and New Zealand – suffered significant damage, several tenants said. But there were no reports of embassy staff missing.

Crooked windows and debris

The US Embassy's Facebook page said all employees were fine, but the building was closed until further notice. The office was only opened in July, as part of a broader drive by the United States to expand its presence in the Pacific in order to counter China's growing influence over governments in the region.

The Australian Foreign Ministry also said its staff were safe.

A video posted on social media showed the building sustaining some damage, including broken windows and debris falling from the walls to the ground. Other photos and videos showed items and shelves falling to store floors and landslides that appeared to block some roads.

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“We haven't heard yet about any casualties, but I would be shocked if we didn't hear that bad news coming out of Port Vila at some point,” said Katie Greenwood, chair of the Fiji-based Asia-Pacific Commission. The Red Cross regional office told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

All flights have been stopped

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

Port Vila Airport could not be reached on Tuesday, but flight tracking websites indicated that all flights had been cancelled. Some airlines in Australia and the Pacific said they had canceled or suspended flights scheduled for Wednesday and were awaiting news on the airport's status.

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong told reporters that her country will provide all required assistance. New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters said 45 New Zealanders were registered as being in Vanuatu, and his government was “deeply concerned” about the situation there.

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 greater than magnitude 6 are not uncommon and the country's buildings are designed to withstand earthquake damage.

Associated Press writer Rod McGuirk in Melbourne, Australia, contributed to this report.

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