Vanuatu earthquake death toll rises to 14

Sydney, Dec 18 (IANS) At least 14 people have been killed and hundreds more injured after a major earthquake struck Vanuatu on Tuesday.

The Red Cross reported the updated death toll early Wednesday local time, citing government sources. Local media previously reported a death toll of seven, Xinhua news agency reported.

The 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck Vanuatu's capital city of Port Vila on Tuesday, causing widespread damage.

Several aftershocks hit the region following the initial quake, including one measuring a magnitude of 5.5 in the early hours of Wednesday morning, according to the US Geological Survey.

The Fiji-based head of the Red Cross in the Pacific, Katie Greenwood, said on social media that more than 200 people have been injured.

Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) said it is aware of several Australians in the region but Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said on Wednesday that none are believed to have been injured.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong said in a statement on Tuesday night that the earthquake caused significant damage and said Australia would send aid on Wednesday.

Australia's 9News network reported that the United Nations humanitarian office said access to the airport and seaport in Port Vila was severely limited due to road damage, which could affect efforts to deliver aid.

Clement Chipokolo from World Vision Vanuatu told Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) television that he expects the death toll to rise due to the severity of the damage.

He said that damage to electricity and phone lines was hampering rescue and recovery efforts.

Vanuatu has been led by four Prime Ministers in four years and is due to go to the polls in January for a snap election. In November, Prime Minister Charlot Salwai asked President Nikenike Vurobaravu to dissolve Parliament so he did not have to face a no-confidence vote as his recent predecessors did.

But Vanuatu is accustomed to natural disasters, including havoc wrought by cyclones and volcanic eruptions. Its position on a subduction zone -- where the Indo-Australia tectonic plate moves beneath the Pacific Plate -- means earthquakes of greater than magnitude 6 are not uncommon and the country's buildings are intended to withstand quake damage.

--IANS

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