A magnitude 7.3 earthquake that struck off Vanuatu has killed at least 14 people, injured hundreds more and caused widespread damage across the South Pacific island nation, officials said Wednesday, with the figure expected to rise.
After the earthquake struck early Tuesday afternoon, rescuers labored through the night to reach people from beneath the wreckage, with some being rescued and others remaining trapped.
A near-complete telecommunications failure meant that little was known about conditions beyond the main city, and people struggled to contact the missing.
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Some companies resumed phone service on Wednesday. Internet service was yet to restart.
The earthquake hit at a depth of 57 kilometers and was centred 30 kilometers west of Port Vila, the capital of Vanuatu, a group of 80 islands home to about 330,000 people.
A tsunami warning was called off less than two hours after the quake, which was followed by large aftershocks.
According to a government notification, four people were killed at the main hospital, six in a landslide, and four in a collapsed structure, but the number is expected to climb. Vila Central Hospital treated more than 200 injured persons.
At least ten huge structures and three bridges suffered major structural damage.
Water and power were down in Port Vila, and two huge water reservoirs had been completely destroyed, according to a National Disaster Management Office notification.
