Violent Earthquake Strikes Vanuatu, Damaging U.S. and French Embassies

17th December 2024

1 minute read

Violent Earthquake Strikes Vanuatu, Damaging U.S. and French Embassies

A powerful 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck off the island of Vanuatu in the Pacific Ocean on Tuesday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), while the Tsunami Warning Center initially issued a warning for potential high waves before later canceling it.

The U.S. institute stated that the quake’s epicenter was located at a depth of 43 kilometers below the sea surface and just 30 kilometers west of Port Vila, the capital of Vanuatu. In an earlier bulletin, the earthquake‘s magnitude had been estimated at 7.4.

The AFP reported that the buildings housing the U.S. and French embassies in Vanuatu were damaged by the earthquake.

An eyewitness in Port Vila told AFP that he saw bodies in the capital following the violent quake, which caused bridges to collapse, triggered landslides, and inflicted severe damage to buildings.

Michael Thompson, a resident of Port Vila, stated during a satellite phone call—after sharing images on social media documenting part of the destruction caused by the quake—that the ground floor of the building housing both the U.S. and French embassies had been crushed under the upper floors.

The U.S. Geological Survey confirmed that a 7.4-magnitude earthquake had struck Port Vila, Vanuatu, in the Pacific Ocean on Tuesday.

The USGS added that the quake occurred at a depth of 10 kilometers, as reported by AFP.

Subsequently, the U.S. Tsunami Warning System canceled an initial tsunami warning for Vanuatu following the earthquake.

The USGS also clarified that there was no tsunami threat to the U.S. territories of Guam and Samoa.