A magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck near the Pacific Island nation of Vanuatu early Tuesday afternoon, triggering tsunami waves.
The epicenter of the earthquake was about 18 miles off the coast of Port Vila, Vanuatu’s coastal capital, according to the United States Geological Survey. The country is about 1,000 miles northeast of Australia and comprises more than 80 islands with a population of about 300,000.
Tsunami waves of up to 0.8 feet above normal tidal levels were recorded hitting Vanuatu’s coastline after the quake, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said.
The quake briefly prompted a tsunami alert for parts of Vanuatu, according to the U.S. Tsunami Warning System, which is part of the National Weather Service. U.S. officials said about an hour later that the threat had passed.
Photos and videos on social media appeared to show that some buildings had collapsed as a result of the earthquake. There was no independent confirmation of damage or injuries.
Vanuatu state broadcaster VBTC showed footage of vehicles crushed in a building collapse on a street lined with retailers.
The broadcaster reported one person had been trapped in a collapsed building. Other footage posted on social media showed buckled windows and collapsed concrete pillars on a building hosting foreign missions in the capital, including the U.S., British, French, and New Zealand embassies.
"Our High Commission building, which is co-located with the United States, the French, and the United Kingdom, has sustained significant damage," a spokesperson for New Zealand's foreign ministry said in a statement.
There were communications outages across the country, the statement added. Police reported at least one person had been killed and injured people had been taken to hospital, according to Dan McGarry, a journalist with the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project based in Vanuatu, in a post on X. "I saw three people seriously injured on gurneys waiting treatment," he said. "There is substantial damage around town.
We've got a building that has pancaked," McGarry told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in an interview. The road connecting Port Vila to its main port was blocked by landslides, he added. Reuters was not able to immediately able to confirm the casualty figures, with authorities in Vanuatu not reachable for comment.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said the quake was at a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles). The U.S. Tsunami Warning System canceled an initial tsunami warning for Vanuatu. Authorities in the U.S., Australia, and New Zealand said there was no tsunami threat to their territories.
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