South Pacific nation of Vanuatu braces for potential cyclone days after deadly earthquake
The desperate search for survivors beneath the rubble of collapsed buildings continues after Tuesday's earthquake that has so far claimed at least 16 lives and has injured hundreds more.
Watch: Significant damage reported after powerful earthquake in Vanuatu
A video recorded in the South Pacific nation of Vanuatu shows a collapsed building and other damage after a powerful and deadly magnitude 7.3 earthquake that shook the region on Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024.
PORT VILA, Vanuatu – Residents across the South Pacific nation of Vanuatu are bracing for heavy rain and a potential cyclone Thursday, just two days after a deadly magnitude 7.3 earthquake rocked the islands.
The desperate search for survivors beneath the rubble of collapsed buildings continues after Tuesday's earthquake that has so far claimed at least 16 lives and has injured hundreds more, according to Reuters.
Vanuatu President Nikenike Vurobaravu advised residents to exercise extreme caution in regions affected by landslides.
"Make sure your family is safe. Help each other during this hard time for the nation," he said in an address, warning of "cascading hazards" from a low-pressure system bringing heavy rain to Vanuatu, with a 10-60% chance of developing into a cyclone.
![Rescue workers are seen at the site of a collapsed building after an earthquake struck Port Vila, the capital city of Vanuatu, on December 18, 2024. Rescue teams dug for survivors trapped in crumpled buildings in the Pacific nation of Vanuatu on December 18 after a powerful earthquake killed at least 14 people, some of them buried in rubble and landslides. (Photo by AFP) (Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images)]()
Image 1 of 12Rescue workers are seen at the site of a collapsed building after an earthquake struck Port Vila, the capital city of Vanuatu, on December 18, 2024. Rescue teams dug for survivors trapped in crumpled buildings in the Pacific nation of Vanuatu on December 18 after a powerful earthquake killed at least 14 people, some of them buried in rubble and landslides. (Photo by AFP) (Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images) ( )
![Search and rescue operations continue following a powerful 7.3-magnitude earthquake, which killed at least six people and caused extensive damage to buildings and infrastructure, in Port Vila, Vanuatu on December 17, 2024. (Photo by Vanuatu Police Force/Anadolu via Getty Images)]()
Image 2 of 12Search and rescue operations continue following a powerful 7.3-magnitude earthquake, which killed at least six people and caused extensive damage to buildings and infrastructure, in Port Vila, Vanuatu on December 17, 2024. (Photo by Vanuatu Police Force/Anadolu via Getty Images) ( )
![Search and rescue operations continue following a powerful 7.3-magnitude earthquake, which killed at least six people and caused extensive damage to buildings and infrastructure, in Port Vila, Vanuatu on December 17, 2024. (Photo by Vanuatu Police Force/Anadolu via Getty Images)]()
Image 3 of 12Search and rescue operations continue following a powerful 7.3-magnitude earthquake, which killed at least six people and caused extensive damage to buildings and infrastructure, in Port Vila, Vanuatu on December 17, 2024. (Photo by Vanuatu Police Force/Anadolu via Getty Images) ( )
![Search and rescue operations continue following a powerful 7.3-magnitude earthquake, which killed at least six people and caused extensive damage to buildings and infrastructure, in Port Vila, Vanuatu on December 17, 2024. (Photo by Vanuatu Police Force/Anadolu via Getty Images)]()
Image 4 of 12Search and rescue operations continue following a powerful 7.3-magnitude earthquake, which killed at least six people and caused extensive damage to buildings and infrastructure, in Port Vila, Vanuatu on December 17, 2024. (Photo by Vanuatu Police Force/Anadolu via Getty Images) ( )
![Search and rescue operations continue following a powerful 7.3-magnitude earthquake, which killed at least six people and caused extensive damage to buildings and infrastructure, in Port Vila, Vanuatu on December 17, 2024. (Photo by Vanuatu Police Force/Anadolu via Getty Images)]()
Image 5 of 12Search and rescue operations continue following a powerful 7.3-magnitude earthquake, which killed at least six people and caused extensive damage to buildings and infrastructure, in Port Vila, Vanuatu on December 17, 2024. (Photo by Vanuatu Police Force/Anadolu via Getty Images) ( )
![A view of the destruction on the roads and buildings as search and rescue operations continue following a powerful 7.3-magnitude earthquake in the southern Pacific nation of Vanuatu, which killed at least six people and caused extensive damage to buildings and infrastructure in Port Vila, Vanuatu on December 17, 2024. The strongest tremor, measuring 7.3 in magnitude, struck 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) west of Vanuatu's capital, Port Vila. Four additional quakes of magnitude 5.4, 5.0, 5.5, and 5.1 followed. (Photo by Tim Cutler X Account/Anadolu via Getty Images)]()
Image 6 of 12A view of the destruction on the roads and buildings as search and rescue operations continue following a powerful 7.3-magnitude earthquake in the southern Pacific nation of Vanuatu, which killed at least six people and caused extensive damage to buildings and infrastructure in Port Vila, Vanuatu on December 17, 2024. The strongest tremor, measuring 7.3 in magnitude, struck 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) west of Vanuatu's capital, Port Vila. Four additional quakes of magnitude 5.4, 5.0, 5.5, and 5.1 followed. (Photo by Tim Cutler X Account/Anadolu via Getty Images) (Tim Cutler X Account/Anadolu via Getty Images)
![This photo shows a general view of a severely damaged building housing the embassies of the United States, United Kingdom, and New Zealand after a powerful earthquake struck Port Vila, the capital city of Vanuatu, on December 17, 2024. A powerful earthquake hit the Pacific island of Vanuatu on December 17, smashing buildings in the capital Port Vila including one housing the US and other embassies, with a witness telling AFP of bodies seen in the city. (Photo by AFP) (Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images)]()
Image 7 of 12This photo shows a general view of a severely damaged building housing the embassies of the United States, United Kingdom, and New Zealand after a powerful earthquake struck Port Vila, the capital city of Vanuatu, on December 17, 2024. A powerful earthquake hit the Pacific island of Vanuatu on December 17, smashing buildings in the capital Port Vila including one housing the US and other embassies, with a witness telling AFP of bodies seen in the city. (Photo by AFP) (Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images) ( )
![This photo shows a general view of a severely damaged building housing the embassies of the United States, United Kingdom, and New Zealand after a powerful earthquake struck Port Vila, the capital city of Vanuatu, on December 17, 2024. A powerful earthquake hit the Pacific island of Vanuatu on December 17, smashing buildings in the capital Port Vila including one housing the US and other embassies, with a witness telling AFP of bodies seen in the city. (Photo by AFP) (Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images)]()
Image 8 of 12This photo shows a general view of a severely damaged building housing the embassies of the United States, United Kingdom, and New Zealand after a powerful earthquake struck Port Vila, the capital city of Vanuatu, on December 17, 2024. A powerful earthquake hit the Pacific island of Vanuatu on December 17, smashing buildings in the capital Port Vila including one housing the US and other embassies, with a witness telling AFP of bodies seen in the city. (Photo by AFP) (Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images) ( )
![This photo shows a general view of a severely damaged building housing the embassies of the United States, United Kingdom, and New Zealand after a powerful earthquake struck Port Vila, the capital city of Vanuatu, on December 17, 2024. A powerful earthquake hit the Pacific island of Vanuatu on December 17, smashing buildings in the capital Port Vila including one housing the US and other embassies, with a witness telling AFP of bodies seen in the city. (Photo by AFP) (Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images)]()
Image 9 of 12This photo shows a general view of a severely damaged building housing the embassies of the United States, United Kingdom, and New Zealand after a powerful earthquake struck Port Vila, the capital city of Vanuatu, on December 17, 2024. A powerful earthquake hit the Pacific island of Vanuatu on December 17, smashing buildings in the capital Port Vila including one housing the US and other embassies, with a witness telling AFP of bodies seen in the city. (Photo by AFP) (Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images) ( )
![Rescue workers are seen at the site of a collapsed building after a powerful earthquake struck Port Vila, the capital city of Vanuatu, on December 17, 2024. A powerful earthquake hit the Pacific island of Vanuatu on December 17, smashing buildings in the capital Port Vila including one housing the US and other embassies, with a witness telling AFP of bodies seen in the city. (Photo by AFP) (Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images)]()
Image 10 of 12Rescue workers are seen at the site of a collapsed building after a powerful earthquake struck Port Vila, the capital city of Vanuatu, on December 17, 2024. A powerful earthquake hit the Pacific island of Vanuatu on December 17, smashing buildings in the capital Port Vila including one housing the US and other embassies, with a witness telling AFP of bodies seen in the city. (Photo by AFP) (Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images) ( )
![This photo shows a general view of a severely damaged building housing the embassies of the United States, United Kingdom, and New Zealand after a powerful earthquake struck Port Vila, the capital city of Vanuatu, on December 17, 2024. A powerful earthquake hit the Pacific island of Vanuatu on December 17, smashing buildings in the capital Port Vila including one housing the US and other embassies, with a witness telling AFP of bodies seen in the city. (Photo by AFP) (Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images)]()
Image 11 of 12This photo shows a general view of a severely damaged building housing the embassies of the United States, United Kingdom, and New Zealand after a powerful earthquake struck Port Vila, the capital city of Vanuatu, on December 17, 2024. A powerful earthquake hit the Pacific island of Vanuatu on December 17, smashing buildings in the capital Port Vila including one housing the US and other embassies, with a witness telling AFP of bodies seen in the city. (Photo by AFP) (Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images) ( )
![Rescue workers are seen at the site of a collapsed building after a powerful earthquake struck Port Vila, the capital city of Vanuatu, on December 17, 2024. A powerful earthquake hit the Pacific island of Vanuatu on December 17, smashing buildings in the capital Port Vila including one housing the US and other embassies, with a witness telling AFP of bodies seen in the city. (Photo by AFP) (Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images)]()
Image 12 of 12Rescue workers are seen at the site of a collapsed building after a powerful earthquake struck Port Vila, the capital city of Vanuatu, on December 17, 2024. A powerful earthquake hit the Pacific island of Vanuatu on December 17, smashing buildings in the capital Port Vila including one housing the US and other embassies, with a witness telling AFP of bodies seen in the city. (Photo by AFP) (Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images) ( )
Government officials have declared a state of emergency and imposed a curfew within the worst-affected areas, including the capital city of Port Vila.
In addition, Bauerfield International Airport has been temporarily closed to all commercial flights, and only relief flights are allowed to land.
A complex housing the U.S. Embassy was also damaged, and officials said it would remain closed until further notice.
"All U.S. Embassy personnel who were in the Embassy are safe and accounted for," officials said in a post on X. "While the building sustained significant damage, all U.S. Embassy personnel were able to safely evacuate."
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Watch: Videos shows moment magnitude 7.3 earthquake rocks Vanuatu
Dramatic videos show the moment the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu was rocked by a powerful magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck on Tuesday.
Dramatic videos recorded during the deadly earthquake showed buildings swaying and debris falling to the ground as the Earth shook.
Other videos and pictures showing the aftermath provide a heartbreaking look at the catastrophic damage, with crumbled buildings littering the area.
Communication has been impacted because of the earthquake, but in a Facebook post, the Vanuatu Police Force said the search for those who survived and remain trapped will continue.
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As the search for survivors continues, work is also being done to distribute supplies to victims.
WHAT TO DO DURING AND AFTER AN EARTHQUAKE
US Embassy among multiple buildings damaged by strong magnitude 7.3 Vanuatu quake
A powerful magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck the island nation of Vanuatu in the Pacific on Tuesday, causing considerable damage to numerous homes and businesses, including a complex that houses the U.S. Embassy (Video Credit: Michael Thompson via Storyful).
"At the moment, Port Vila is without water," Vanuatu Red Cross Secretary General Dickinson Tevi said. "This is also a high priority. We may be looking soon into how we can distribute jerry cans for (people) to collect water."
Red Cross volunteers have also mobilized at Vila Central Hospital to help with cleanup efforts and to help those who have been injured.
This graphic shows details in the magnitude 7.3 earthquake in Vanuatu.
(FOX Weather)
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, numerous aftershocks, including magnitude 5.5 and magnitude 4.9, have also been reported since the first quake.
Some details provided in this story were obtained via Google Translate.