Australian rescue and medical teams have arrived in Vanuatu, where a 7.3-magnitude earthquake two days ago killed at least 14 people, including a Frenchman and two Chinese citizens, and injured hundreds, officials said Thursday.
French Ambassador Jean-Baptiste Jean Jean Wilmar on Thursday confirmed the death of a French citizen, Vanuatu resident Vincent Goiset, who was killed by the debris of a collapsed building in the city centre, he said in a Facebook post.
French and Australian rescue teams are searching for survivors in the collapsed building, where eight to 15 people are buried, some of whom are confirmed dead, he wrote.
Vanuatu’s National Disaster Management Office said in a report that the number of deaths and injuries was expected to rise as search and rescue continued.
A Chinese woman who ran a shop on the ground floor of another collapsed building, a four-story building owned by Chinese company Kenwoo Industries, had died, said Michael Mai, who worked for the company. She told Reuters in an interview that she was one of two Chinese citizens at the Chinese embassy who were said to have died in the earthquake.
“She was very close to the building, she was very close when the building collapsed,” he said.
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Australia would help Vanuatu restore operations at the international airport in the country’s capital, Port Vila, which has been closed to commercial airlines due to damage.
“Additional support will be provided where possible before the airport reopens,” Wong said in a post on X.
About 150 Australians returned home overnight on two aid planes, Wong said.
Other countries have also offered support, with a US military plane expected to arrive on Thursday, while France has sent a military helicopter with satellite communications and military engineers.
New Zealand officials said a Royal New Zealand Air Force Hercules arrived in Port Vila on Thursday with rescue equipment and doctors and would assist in evacuating New Zealanders.
Another New Zealand military flight was diverted to New Caledonia on Wednesday evening due to engine fire warnings and will be repaired on Thursday.
Disruptions to electricity and communications in Vanuatu are hampering rescue efforts, while UNICEF has said water pollution is a major concern.