7.3 earthquake strikes near Vanuatu live updates: Bodies seen after buildings destroyed, tsunami threat passes
- Hge News
- Dec 17, 2024
- 1 min read
Bodies have been seen as rescuers comb through the rubble of buildings which collapsed when a 7.3 earthquake struck the island nation of Vanuatu this afternoon.
A major search and rescue operation is underway as those on the ground scramble to find survivors.
AFP News Agency reported that bodies could be seen in the capital Port Vila after the strong quake collapsed bridges, triggered landslides and severely damaged multiple buildings.
A New Zealander scrambled to get to higher ground amid the “chaos” in Port Vila as the earthquake struck off the coast of Vanuatu.
The woman, one of 45 New Zealanders registered in the Pacific nation, was in a store on the waterfront of Fatumaru Bay in Port Vila as the 57km-deep quake levelled buildings in the capital around 2.47pm (NZ time).
“It just went off like nothing I’ve ever experienced before,” the woman, who didn’t wish to be named, told the Herald.
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