Highlights

• A major 7.3 earthquake magnitude struck Vanuatu at 12:47 pm local time with the epicenter 37km West of Port Vila at a depth of 10km (NDMO Vanuatu sitrep).

• A tsunami warning was issued at 2:58 pm by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center for Vanuatu, which was retracted after a few hours. Neighbouring countries including Fiji also released tsunami warnings from the Tsunami Watch Advisory issued by the Fiji Mineral Resources Department which was later lifted.

• A State of Emergency has been declared by the Government for the next seven days.

• The Government is appealing for international support on structural assessment of buildings.

Situation Overview

• Four UNFPA Vanuatu staff along with their families and national consultants are all accounted for. 

• Telecommunication services, including main network providers Vodafone and Digicel, have been disrupted due to damage and saturation. 

• Curfew is in place from 6 am to 6 pm for the next seven days.

• There are 14 confirmed deaths including 4 at Vila Central Hospital, 6 due to landslides, and 4 in Billabong building; and 200 are injured. However, these numbers are expected to rise as search and rescue teams continue. 

• Major damage to infrastructure and bridges have been reported, and there is a high likelihood of casualties trapped under collapsed buildings in Port Vila. Access to the main port in Port Vila has been compromised due to severe landslides affecting the international shipping terminal.

• Bauerfield International Airport has been closed until further notice. Access to and from the airport might be compromised due to damaged road infrastructure. 

• Two main water reservoirs were reported as damaged, possibly disrupting the water supply to the affected populations in Port Vila,  which might cause water shortages, especially drinking water.

• The main referral hospital, Vila Central Hospital, has been compromised with reported structural damages. The operation theatre is reported to be non functional. Only emergency services are operational, and hospitals are overwhelmed with the influx of patients.