Devastating earthquake in Vanuatu kills 14, injures hundreds

A devastating earthquake that struck the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu on December 17 killed 14 people and injured at least 200.

The BBC writes about this.

Rescuers in the Vanuatu capital, Port Vila, are trying to pull people out of the rubble of collapsed buildings. A seven-day state of emergency has been declared there to restrict peopleʼs movement while rescue operations continue.

At least 10 buildings in Port Vila were significantly damaged, including the building housing the embassies of the United States, the United Kingdom, France and New Zealand. The earthquake also knocked out power and mobile phone service in Port Vila, making it difficult to search for survivors.

The death toll is expected to rise. Among the 14 victims found are two Chinese citizens.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimates that approximately 116 000 people could be affected by the earthquake, although Vanuatuʼs countryside was largely unaffected, as were most people living outside the capital.

• On December 17, a 7.3 magnitude earthquake struck Vanuatu. The tremors were recorded 30 kilometers west of the Vanuatu capital, Port Vila. The epicenter of the earthquake was at a depth of 57 kilometers.
• Vanuatu is one of the largest active seismic zones in the world, and earthquakes and tsunamis occur quite frequently there.

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