Vanuatu earthquake death toll reaches 14, including 2 Chinese

An embassy official said the two Chinese victims were from Fujian province. More than 200 people were injured in the quake

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Rescuers inspect a collapsed building in Vanuatu’s capital Port Vila after a powerful earthquake hit the Pacific nation. Photo: Michael Thompson via AFP

Published: 2:22pm, 18 Dec 2024Updated: 3:01pm, 18 Dec 2024

People remained trapped in a collapsed building in Vanuatu’s capital Port Vila on Wednesday a day after a 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck the Pacific nation, killing 14 people including two Chinese nationals.

Three people were communicating with rescue teams from beneath the rubble of one building, while two survivors had been pulled from the ruins of another, Police Commissioner Robson Iavro said. “We believe there are more stuck inside,” Iavro said in a video message.

As aftershocks continued to rattle the island nation of 330,000 people, footage posted on social media showed vehicles crushed under the debris, boulders strewn across a highway and landslides near Port Vila’s international shipping terminal.

National broadcaster VBTC showed people queuing for fuel and essentials as power, water and communications were disrupted.

There were 14 confirmed deaths including four in one collapsed building, the National Disaster Management office said in a report.

A landslide is seen near an international shipping terminal in Port Vila, Vanuatu. Photo: Dan McGarry via AP

More than 200 people were injured, police said, and triage tents were set up outside Port Vila’s hospital to manage the influx of patients.