Magnitude 7.3 earthquake hits Pacific island nation of Vanuatu
Wellington (AP/PTI): A magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck Tuesday just off the coast of Vanuatu in the South Pacific Ocean, the USGS said.
The quake occurred at a depth of 57 kilometers and was centred 30 kilometers west of Port Vila, the largest city in the island nation. The jolt was followed by a magnitude 5.5 aftershock near the same location.
It was not immediately clear whether it caused any damage, but Vanuatu government websites were offline in the aftermath of the quake and phone numbers for the police and other public agencies did not connect. Social media channels for the country's geohazards agency and the prime minister's office have not been updated.
A video posted on social media appeared to show a building that houses some diplomatic missions to Vanuatu — including those of Britain, France and New Zealand — with some damage to their structure, including buckled windows and debris that had crumbled from walls to the ground.
The USGS warned of tsunami waves for some coasts on Vanuatu, a group of 80 islands that is home to about 330,000 people. Waves could reach 0.3 meters to 1 meter (1 to 3 feet) above the tide level, the agency said.
Some islands in the low-lying atoll nation are 3 feet above sea level.
The USGS also warned of tsunami waves registering less than 0.3 meters (1 foot) above the tide level for a number of nearby Pacific Island countries including Papua New Guinea, Fiji and Solomon Islands.
Authorities in Australia and New Zealand, both located in the Pacific Ocean, said there was no tsunami threat to their countries.
New Zealand's Foreign Ministry said 37 New Zealanders were registered as being in Vanuatu. The ministry did not give details about the status of their nationals.
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Wildfires race across Chile, leaving 15 dead, forcing thousands to flee
Penco (Chile) (AP): Wildfires raging across central and southern Chile on Sunday left at least 15 people dead, scorched thousands of acres of forest and destroyed scores of homes, authorities said, as the South American country swelters under a heat wave.
Chilean President Gabriel Boric declared a state of catastrophe in the country's central Biobio region and the neighbouring Nuble region, around 500 kilometres south of Santiago, the capital.
The emergency designation allows greater coordination with the military to rein in two dozen wildfires that have so far blazed through 8,500 hectares and prompted 50,000 people to evacuate, according to Chilean Security Minister Luis Cordero.
“All resources are available,” Boric wrote on X.
But local officials reported that for hours on Sunday, destruction was everywhere and help from the federal government was nowhere.
“Dear President Boric, from the bottom of my heart, I have been here for four hours, a community is burning and there is no (government) presence,” said Rodrigo Vera, the mayor of the small coastal town of Penco in the Biobio region. “How can a minister do nothing but call me to tell me that the military is going to arrive at some point?”
Firefighters were struggling to extinguish the flames, but strong winds and scorching weather hampered their efforts Sunday with temperatures topping 38 C (100 F).
Residents said that the fires took them by surprise after midnight, trapping them in their homes.
“Many people didn't evacuate. They stayed in their houses because they thought the fire would stop at the edge of the forest,” said John Guzman, 55, surveying the scene in Penco, where smoke blanketed the sky in an orange haze. “It was completely out of control. No one expected it."
Although the total number of homes burned nationwide remained unclear, one municipality of Concepcion in Biobio reported 253 homes destroyed.
“We fled running, with the kids, in the dark,” said Juan Lagos, 52, also in Penco. The fire engulfed most of the city, burning cars, a school and a church.
Charred bodies were found across fields, homes, along roads and in cars.
“From what we can see, there are people who died ... and we knew them well," said Víctor Burboa, 54. "Everyone here knew them.”
