Vanuatu Shaken Again: 6.1 Quake Follows Deadly 7.3, Recovery Efforts Intensify

A 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck Vanuatu's main island of Efate early Sunday morning, shaking the already beleaguered nation just five days after a devastating 7.3-magnitude quake claimed at least 12 lives and caused extensive damage. The latest tremor, which occurred at 2:30 a.m. at a depth of 40 kilometers (25 miles), was located approximately 30 kilometers west of the capital, Port Vila. Fortunately, no tsunami alerts were issued in the aftermath of this quake. Residents of Port Vila, the nation's most populous area, were awakened by the tremor. Local businessman Michael Thompson reported that while the quake rattled windows and caused buildings to shake, it did not result in significant damage. "It gave a better bit of a shake and the windows rattled a little bit; it would have caused houses to rattle," Thompson recounted. However, he noted that the movement was minor compared to the destructive primary quake, which had caused properties to shift dramatically. The previous quake on December 17, which led to widespread devastation, triggered landslides and collapsed buildings, resulting in 210 injuries and displacing nearly 1,700 people. Recovery efforts have faced challenges, particularly due to communication disruptions from the earlier quake that knocked out mobile networks, complicating coordination for aid. The government has declared a seven-day state of emergency and implemented a night curfew as part of its response to the crisis. Despite these difficulties, there has been some progress made towards recovery. Late Saturday, the government announced the lifting of a suspension on commercial flights, a critical step towards rebooting the country’s vital tourism industry, which accounts for roughly one-third of Vanuatu's economy. Australia and New Zealand have responded to the disaster by sending over 100 personnel, along with rescue equipment and supplies. Rescue teams are actively searching for survivors, focusing their efforts on several major collapse sites around Port Vila. Douglas May, the leader of Australia’s rescue team, reported that the search has expanded beyond the city, as rescuers look for individuals trapped in the rubble of the many buildings that collapsed during the initial quake. While power has been restored to some residents, many others continue to experience outages, and essential services remain disrupted. Thompson noted that efforts to reopen supermarkets and other businesses are underway but are hindered by ongoing infrastructure damage. "This is very different to what's happened with disasters here in the past," he commented, highlighting the distinct challenges posed by earthquakes compared to other natural disasters like cyclones. As Vanuatu, a nation with approximately 320,000 inhabitants situated in the Pacific's earthquake-prone Ring of Fire, grapples with the aftermath of these seismic events, the focus remains on recovery, restoration, and the urgent need for continued support from regional partners.