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7.3 Earthquake Magnitude Hits Pacific Island Nation Of Vanuatu; Damaging Building With Several Foreign Embassies And More

A powerful earthquake struck Port Vila, Vanuatu on December 17 and several videos surfacing online show major infrastructure damage in the region.

by Tashika Tyagi
7.3 Earthquake Magnitude Hits Pacific Island Nation Of Vanuatu; Damaging Building With Several Foreign Embassies And More

A strong earthquake of magnitude 7.3 hit Vanuatu in the South Pacific Ocean in the early hours of December 17. According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), the earthquake was centred near Port Vila, Vanuatu’s capital. While no initial damage was reported by authorities, several photos and videos surfacing on social media show concerning infrastructure damage.

Magnitude 7.3 Earthquake Hits Port Vila In Vanuatu

Vanuatu is an island nation with a population of about 330,000 people. On Tuesday, a powerful earthquake of magnitude 7.3 shook the coast of Vanuatu. According to CNBC TV18, the quake occurred at a depth of 57 kilometres and was centred 30 kilometres west of Port Vila, the largest city in the island nation. Furthermore, an aftershock of 5.5 magnitude was felt near the same location.

Initially, the USGS warned of tsunami waves for some coasts. They warned that waves could reach 0.3 meters to 1 meter above the tide level, in the aftermath of the earthquake. However, the warning was later withdrawn. As per several news reports, Australia and New Zealand, both located in the Pacific Ocean, have also confirmed that there is no tsunami threat to their countries.

Also Read: 8 Most Earthquake-Prone Countries In The World

Photos & Videos On Social Media Show Infrastructure Damage

As an aftermath of the earthquake, Vanuatu government websites were offline. So far, there have been no casualties or injuries reported by the authorities. Many netizens have shared photos and videos of major infrastructure damage and even CCTV footage capturing the strong earthquake.

One of the major infrastructure damage reported so far is that of a building housing several foreign embassies in Port Vila. As per The Economic Times, the building housed embassies of the U.S., Britain, France, and New Zealand. A video on X (formerly Twitter) showed collapsed windows and concrete pillars on the building.

Also Read: 5.3 Magnitude Earthquake Jolts Telangana On Wednesday; Tremors Felt In Hyderabad

More information about the earthquake is awaited.

Cover Image Courtesy: X/Weathermonitors & X/@Sasbites

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First Published: December 17, 2024 10:55 AM