Sharjah24 - WAM: A day after a 7.4-magnitude earthquake rocked the Pacific nation's capital, Port Vila, killing 14 people and destroying hospitals, embassies, and commercial buildings, rescuers in Vanuatu looked for individuals buried beneath debris on Wednesday.
More than 200 people have been injured, with rescue efforts focused on two buildings that collapsed, Vanuatu Police Commissioner Robson Iavro said in a video message.
Three people trapped in a collapsed building were communicating with rescuers, he said. "We believe there are more stuck inside," Iavro said.
Footage posted on social media showed vehicles crushed under the debris, boulders strewn across a highway and landslides near Port Vila's international shipping terminal.
Concrete pillars on a building hosting foreign missions in the capital, including the US, British, French and New Zealand embassies, collapsed in the powerful quake.
Power, water and communications remain disrupted, government and energy officials said. Triage tents have been set up outside Port Vila's hospital to manage the influx of patients.
Several aftershocks, including one of magnitude 6.1, rattled Vanuatu overnight.
Caretaker Prime Minister Charlot Salwai said a national disaster committee had declared a state of emergency and imposed a curfew for seven days in the worst-affected areas.
For an optimal experience, please
