A devastating 7.3-magnitude earthquake hit Vanuatu, an island east of Australia, on Tuesday, causing widespread destruction in the capital, Port Vila.
The tremor struck at 12:47 pm local time, approximately 30 km off the coast of the main island Efate, at a depth of 57 km, according to the US Geological Survey.
Multiple videos showing the moment the quake struck are now going viral on social media platforms.
One viral clip on X showed CCTV footage of a junkyard first swaying before violently shaking.
Amid the chaos, a dog appeared on camera running away, quickly followed by a man who also sprinted for cover.
Another video revealed the aftermath of the earthquake, showing significant damage to the US, UK, and French embassy buildings.
A picture shows trees uprooted and sprawled across the middle of the street.
The American Embassy's first floor was damaged. Footage allegedly captures the collapsed embassy, with reports of people trapped inside.
Other clips showed extensive damage to CARE International's office in Port Vila, following the afternoon's massive earthquake. Many large buildings in the city have reportedly collapsed, with widespread power outages and water supply disruptions affecting most of the capital.
Following the quake, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center briefly issued a tsunami warning for Vanuatu, predicting waves up to one metre. The alert was later lifted.
Vanuatu, located along the Pacific's seismic Ring of Fire, is one of the world's most disaster-prone nations. Frequent earthquakes, cyclones, and tsunamis regularly rock the place holding about 3.2 lakh. The 2024 World Risk Report ranked Vanuatu as highly vulnerable to such events due to its low-lying geography and limited infrastructure.
