Vanuatu hit by 7.3 magnitude earthquake | BBC News

A 7.3 magnitude earthquake has struck near Vanuatu’s capital Port Vila, triggering landslides, crushing cars and flattening multiple buildings, including a complex that is home to multiple western embassies.

Power and mobile networks across the country have been cut off and the full extent of the damage still remains unclear, but there are unconfirmed reports of at least one death.

Dan McGarry, a journalist living in Port Vila, said he saw "several people who were visibly, seriously injured" outside the hospital’s emergency department.

Vanuatu is prone to earthquakes, but McGarry told the BBC that the earthquake, which struck at 12:47 local time, felt like "the biggest one… in more than 20 years".

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