An earthquake of magnitude 7.3 has struck the coast of Vanuatu in the South Pacific Ocean today. According to the US Geological Survey, the epicenter of the earthquake was located 30 kilometers west of Port Vila, the largest city of Vanuatu, at a depth of 57 kilometers. Soon after this, an aftershock of magnitude 5.5 has also been recorded in the same area.
Communication services also affected
Communication services in Vanuatu have also been badly affected due to the earthquake. Government websites have also been affected. Phone numbers of police as well as other public agencies are also not working. Due to this, the damage caused by the earthquake is also not known yet. It is expected that the earthquake will prove to be a major natural disaster for Vanuatu.
Video went viral on social media
The video of the earthquake has gone viral on social media. In this, cars are seen shaking in the garage, apart from this, other buildings and diplomatic missions and other buildings have also been damaged. Windows of some buildings have also been broken. Apart from this, parts of some buildings have collapsed.
Possibility of tsunami waves
The USGS has now issued a tsunami warning for some coastal areas of Vanuatu in view of the situation. In this, the waves can be 0.3 meters to 1 meter higher than the tide level. Apart from this, the possibility of tsunami waves of less than 0.3 meters has also been expressed for countries like Papua New Guinea, Fiji and Solomon Islands.
CCTV footage of 7.4 Earthquake in Port Vila, Vanuatu
December 17, 2024 #earthquake #Vanuatu #terremoto #sismo pic.twitter.com/0MJWyhepga
— Disasters Daily (@DisastersAndI) December 17, 2024
There is no threat of tsunami
They have later withdrawn this warning. Officials in Australia and New Zealand said that there is no threat of any kind of tsunami. Vanuatu is a place where there is a group of about 80 islands and about 3,30,000 people live. It is very sensitive due to its low geographical location.
Neighboring countries worried about security
Communication services have stopped after the earthquake. Due to this, rescue operations will also be difficult. The international community is keeping an eye on the situation in Vanuatu. At the same time, neighboring country New Zealand is also very worried about the safety of its citizens.