Ministry Confirmed No Indonesians Among Victims of Vanuatu Earthquake

TheIndonesia.co - Indonesia's Foreign Affairs Ministry confirmed that no Indonesians were among the victims of Tuesday's 7.3-magnitude earthquake in Vanuatu.

"So far, no information about any Indonesians among the earthquake victims (in Vanuatu)," Judha Nugraha, the ministry's director of protection of Indonesian citizens and legal entities, told ANTARA on Wednesday.

He stated that the Indonesian Embassy in Canberra, accredited to Vanuatu, is coordinating with the Vanuatuan authority to establish communication with Indonesians residing in the Pacific country.

According to the ministry's director, the embassy recorded 48 Indonesians, most of whom are ship crews currently residing in Vanuatu.

Nugraha remarked that the ministry and the Indonesian Embassy in Canberra will continue to monitor the situation in Vanuatu following the earthquake.

The 7.3-magnitude earthquake rattled the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu on Tuesday at 12:51 p.m. local time. US Geological Survey (USGS) stated that the powerful quake hit less than 20 miles west of the Vanuatu capital of Port Vila, as reported by Sputnik.

The death toll from the earthquake has risen to 14, while another 200 people have requested help, according to Katie Greenwood, head of the International Federation of the Red Cross Pacific Office.

Meanwhile, rescue efforts to free people trapped under collapsed buildings and rubble continued throughout the night, New Zealand's RNZ radio reported.

Vanuatu Prime Minister Charlot Salwai said a state of emergency and curfew had also been imposed in the worst-damaged areas.