Australia sends relief and medical teams to the Vanuatu archipelago after the earthquake

A 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck the Vanuatu archipelago the day before yesterday, causing at least 14 deaths, according to several reports, and causing severe damage to buildings and infrastructure.

The epicenter of the earthquake was located at a depth of 43 kilometers in the sea, 30 kilometers west of the capital of this island country, according to the US Geological Survey, which led to the issuance of a tsunami warning.

A 5.5 magnitude aftershock occurred a few minutes later, followed by a series of less powerful tremors.

A post by Pacific Red Cross official, Katie Greenwood, on the “X” platform stated that the Vanuatu government reported that the death toll had reached 14 people, and that 200 wounded were being treated in the main hospital in Port Vila, the capital of the archipelago, and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimated that OCHA said that 116,000 people may be affected by the consequences of the earthquake.