At least 14 people have been killed and hundreds more injured after a massive earthquake struck Vanuatu on Tuesday.
The Red Cross reported an updated death toll early Wednesday local time, citing government sources. Local media had earlier reported seven deaths.
A 7.3 magnitude earthquake struck Vanuatu’s capital Port Vila on Tuesday, causing widespread damage.
The initial quake was followed by several aftershocks in the region, including one of magnitude 5.5 on Wednesday morning, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Katie Greenwood, head of the Fiji-based Red Cross Pacific region, said on social media that more than 200 people were injured.
Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) said it was aware of a number of Australians in the area, but Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said on Wednesday that no one was believed to be injured.
Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong said in a statement Tuesday night that the earthquake had caused significant damage and said Australia would send aid on Wednesday.
The UN humanitarian office said access to the airport and port in Port Vila was severely limited due to road damage, which could hamper aid delivery efforts, Australia’s 9News network reported.
Clement Chipokolo of World Vision Vanuatu told Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) television that he expected the death toll to rise due to the severity of the damage.
He said rescue and recovery efforts were being hampered by damaged power and phone lines.
Vanuatu has been led by four prime ministers in four years and snap elections are scheduled to be held in January. In November, Prime Minister Charlotte Salwai asked President Nikenike Vuorobarvu to dissolve parliament so that he would not face a no-confidence vote like his recent predecessors.
But Vanuatu is prone to natural disasters, including devastation caused by cyclones and volcanic eruptions. Its location on the subduction zone – where the Indo-Australia tectonic plate moves beneath the Pacific Plate – means that earthquakes of greater than magnitude 6 are not uncommon and the country’s buildings are intended to withstand earthquake damage.
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