Vanuatu hit by magnitude 7.4 earthquake, United Nations reports six unconfirmed deaths

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. - AFP

SYDNEY/WELLINGTON (Reuters): An earthquake of magnitude 7.4 struck Vanuatu's capital Port Vila on Tuesday, with the United Nations reporting six unconfirmed deaths and that two reservoirs and a hospital had been damaged.

State broadcaster VBTC showed footage of vehicles crushed under the debris of collapsed buildings and boulders strewn across a highway. Drone footage showed landslips near a shipping terminal.