US embassy for Vanuatu don suffer small damage as powerful quake don hit Pacific nation

One powerful 7.3 earthquake don hit Vanuatu on Tuesday, sparking network outage as e com take dey crush some cars and damage plenty buildings, including one complex for di capital Port Vila wey host di diplomatic missions of Western nations including di United States.
Di quake wey hit 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) west of di Pacific Island nation’s capital at about 57.1 kilometers (35.5 miles) deep, shortly afternoon, according to di United States Geological Survey (USGS). E follow by one 5.5 afta shock.
With communications down, di official death toll no com dey immediately recognize.
But at least one pesin don die, according to relief agencies, wey dey cite di preliminary reports from di ground and local media.
Di quake cause buildings to collapse, and e don crush cars, with some pipo feared to dey trapped unda di rubble.
Landslides occur near one international shipping terminal for Port Vila, blocking access, according to report.
Hours afta di quake hit, di crowds begin to dey form outside one hospital as dem dey wait to receive treatment, according to di Associated Press, as him dey cite footage from national broadcaster Vanuatu Broadcasting and Television Corporation, wey website don go offline.
Multiple social media videos geolocated by CNN show damage to one red and blue building wey house di US and other Western embassies.
One section of di ground floor wey don appear to be partially collapse, with debris scattered around di US embassy’s crest and several windows shattered.
“Di US Embassy for Port Vila don sustain considerable damage and e don dey closed until further notice,” one spokes pesin for di US Embassy for Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea tell CNN.
“Our thoughts dey with everyone affected by dis earthquake and di US government go work closely with our partners for Vanuatu.”
New Zealand’s foreign ministry confirm to CNN say di building also house its High Commission office and di embassies of France and di United Kingdom, saying e don “sustain significant damage.”
Vanuatu na home to about 330,000 pipo ova group of 80 islands.
Katie Greenwood, one Fiji-based regional head of di International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, talk say di damage dey widespread, including collapsed buildings for downtown Port Vila and crippled infrastructure for provincial areas.
Red Cross volunteers dey ready to help affected communities, she talk.
At least one pesin don die for hospital, she add, citing preliminary information from her team on di ground and local media reports.
“For di Pacific, e be di worst I don see in terms of earthquake damage,” she tell CNN.
Di US geological agency dey issue damage predictions, wey dem sabi as pagers, for powerful earthquakes.
Di present quake don trigger yellow pagers or level 2 on scale of 4 on both di estimated economic damage and fatality, USGS talk, adding past yellow alerts “don require local or regional level response.”
“Some casualties and damage dey possible, and di impact suppose dey relatively localized,” warn di USGS, adding “estimated economic losses dey 1-10% GDP of Vanuatu.”
In total, 73,000 pipo experience severe shaking. Of those wey experience severe shaking, 36,000 be pipo for Port Vila.
Vanuatu government websites dey offline in di afta-math of di quake and phone numbers for di police and other public agencies no connect, di Associated Press report.
Social media channels for di country’s geohazards agency and di prime minister’s office neva update.
Initial tsunami warnings later cancel.
“Dere no dey longer tsunami threat from dis earthquake,” di National Weather Service Pacific Tsunami Warning Center talk.
But e warn, “minor sea level fluctuations fit occur for some coastal areas near di earthquake ova di next few hours.”
Di US only open its Vanuatu embassy for July dis year, part of recent ramping up of its diplomatic presence for di Pacific as e dey compete with China for influence for di strategically vital region.
“Di opening of di embassy dey build upon our efforts to provide more diplomatic presence throughout di region and to engage further with our Pacific neighbors,” di State Department talk at di time.
Before Vanuatu, di US open embassies for two other island nations, Solomon Islands and Tonga.

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