Strong Earthquake Hits Vanuatu, Serious Damage to US Embassy

Vanuatu was hit by a strong 7.3 earthquake on Tuesday, which damaged many buildings, including a complex in the city, Port Vila that houses the diplomatic offices of Western countries, including the US.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reports that the earthquake, which shook the Pacific island country on Tuesday just after noon local time, was around 57.1 kilometers (35.5 miles) deep. At the moment of first observation, the USGS recorded an earthquake magnitude of 7.3, which was later lowered somewhat.

Relief organizations said at least one person was killed, citing early accounts from local media and the ground. The red and blue structure that houses the US and other Western embassies was damaged, as shown in many social media videos that CNN geolocated. A portion of the bottom level seems to have partially fallen, as seen by the broken windows and rubble scattered around the US embassy's crest.

The US Embassy in Port Vila has suffered significant damage and is closed until further notice, a representative for the US Embassy in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, said CNN. The US government will work closely with its allies in Vanuatu, and their thoughts are with everyone impacted by this earthquake. The building also houses the French and British embassies, as well as New Zealand's High Commission office, the country's foreign ministry confirmed to CNN, albeit it had suffered severe damage.

About 330,000 people live on the 80 islands that make up Vanuatu. According to Katie Greenwood, regional president of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies located in Fiji, the devastation was extensive and included damaged infrastructure in provincial regions and buildings that fell in central Port Vila. She stated that Red Cross volunteers were prepared to assist impacted areas.

She noted that early information from her team on the ground and local media sources indicated that at least one person had passed away at a hospital. She also told CNN that, in terms of earthquake damage, it's the worst she's seen in the Pacific.

For strong earthquakes, the US Geological Agency publishes damage forecasts, or pagers.