Massive quake crushes structures in Vanuatu

A powerful earthquake hit the Pacific island of Vanuatu on Tuesday, smashing buildings in the capital Port Vila, including one used by foreign embassies.

- Agence France-Presse

PORT VILA: A witness told AFP of bodies lying in the city.

The 7.3-magnitude quake struck at a depth of 57 kilometers, some 30 kilometers off the coast of Efate, Vanuatu's main island, at 12:47 pm (0147 GMT), according to the US Geological Survey.

A 5.5-magnitude aftershock struck minutes later, followed by a string of lesser tremors over the following hours.

The ground floor of a four-story concrete block in Port Vila used by the US, French and other embassies was flattened, AFP photos showed.

But all US personnel were "safe and accounted for" after evacuating the building, the US embassy in Papua New Guinea said in a statement.

The US closed the embassy until further notice.