A major earthquake hits stricken Vanuatu Nation

A 6.1-magnitude earthquake shook buildings on Vanuatu's main island early Sunday, but did not appear to cause major damage, five days after a stronger quake wreaked havoc and killed 12 people.

Efate Island, the country's most populous island, is still reeling from the effects of Tuesday's deadly 7.3-magnitude earthquake, which toppled concrete buildings and caused landslides in and around the capital, Port Vila.

The latest earthquake occurred at a depth of 40 kilometers (25 miles) and is located about 30 kilometers west of the capital, which was rocked by a series of aftershocks.

No tsunami warnings were issued when the quake struck at 2:30 a.m. Sunday (1530 GMT Saturday).

Port Vila businessman Michael Thompson told AFP that the quake woke up his family.

He added: “The windows shook a little, and it could have caused the houses to shake.”

“But you know, there was only a few inches of movement in both directions, really. Whereas in the main quake, the property would have moved a meter and a half very quickly and suddenly.”

“I describe this as one of the biggest aftershocks, and we've had quite a few of them now.”

Thompson said there was no sign of further damage in his immediate vicinity.

The death toll remained at 12, according to government figures reported by the United Nations Office for Humanitarian Affairs on Saturday evening.

She added that 210 injuries were recorded while 1,698 people were temporarily displaced, citing disaster management officials in Vanuatu.

Mobile phone networks remained down, making external communication with Vanuatu difficult and complicating relief efforts.

In addition to disrupting communications, the first earthquake damaged water supplies and halted operations at the capital's main shipping port.

The South Pacific country declared a seven-day state of emergency and a night-time curfew following the first quake.

It announced on Saturday that it would lift the suspension of commercial flights in an attempt to restart the vital tourism industry.

The first was scheduled to arrive on Sunday.

Rescue workers said Friday they had expanded their search for trapped survivors to “several collapse areas” outside the capital.

-Still searching-

This week, Australia and New Zealand sent more than 100 personnel, along with rescue equipment, dogs and relief supplies, to help search for trapped survivors and make emergency repairs.

Douglas May, leader of the Australian rescue team, said in a video update on Friday that there were “several major collapse sites where buildings were completely destroyed.”

“We are now starting to spread out to see if there are more people trapped and more damage. We have found several collapse places east and west of the city.”

Thompson said power was restored to his home on Saturday, but he said many others were still waiting.

“We are hearing that a lot of major businesses are still closed, and that supermarkets are trying to open their doors again,” he said.

“So this is very different from what has happened with disasters here in the past.

“Hurricanes destroy everything outside, while earthquakes destroy a lot of infrastructure inside buildings.”

Vanuatu, an archipelago with a population of about 320,000 people, is located in the earthquake-prone “Ring of Fire” region in the Pacific Ocean.

Tourism accounts for about a third of the country's economy, according to the Australian and Pacific Islands Business Council.

Bur-DGI/DJW/FOX

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