An earthquake of magnitude 7.3 shook the waters of the Vanuatu archipelago, in the South Pacific, this Tuesday, with a tsunami warning which has already been withdrawn.
No victims have been reported, but in the first report of material damage there have already been reported damage to buildings in the capitalPort Vila, including the US Embassy.
The Embassy has released a statement stating that its building in Port Vila has suffered “considerable damage” and that it “is closed” until further notice.
The United States Geological Survey, which records seismic activity around the world, noted that The earthquake occurred at 12:47 local time (02:47 in Spain), and placed it 57.1 kilometers deep under the seabed.
The epicenter of the earthquake, which was followed two replicas of 5.5 and 5.4was located about 30 kilometers west of the capital, Port-Vila, according to the US service.
After the earthquake, the American Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, based in Honolulu, indicated the possibility of tsunami waves of 0.3 to 1 meter above the tide level on the coast of Vanuatu, although the alert was later suspended.
Without internet after the earthquake
According to the independent cybersecurity observatory NetBlocks, the Internet connection practically lost in Vanautu after the earthquake, without specifying for how long, while the Government’s internet portals have not been updated with information about the earthquake.
Some users were able to publish images of the damage caused to their properties on social networks, as was the case of a pharmacy in Port Vila, where the damage caused by the earthquake can be seen, and in other establishments and homes.
“The earthquake was extremely violent“I only had time to grab my son by the arm and go out to the garage, but we fell to the ground trying to grab my wife,” Stéphane Rivier tells EFE by message from Port Vila, who shares images of the impact on his property, with damage of “90%”, he estimates.
The family declares themselves safe and notes that there have been about “10 or 12” tremors since the first one.
The US Embassy in Vanuatu urged on its Facebook account to follow the authorities’ recommendations on precautions, tsunami warnings and evacuation orders.
Vanuatu is located near the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire and the underwater volcanoes of the Lau Basin, which is why it regularly registers earthquakes of seismic origin.
The Republic of Vanuatu, with a population of around 250,000 inhabitants, is made up of an archipelago of volcanic origin.
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