A magnitude 7.3 earthquake hit just off the coast of Vanuatu, resulting in significant damage across the South Pacific island nation. The quake occurred near Port Vila, the largest city in Vanuatu, with a depth of 57 kilometers. An aftershock of magnitude 5.5 followed, prolonging the tremors throughout the day.
Communication lines and government websites remained down, hindering the flow of official information. The Geohazards Department reported that monitoring systems were offline due to power outages. Residents were advised to stay away from coastlines until monitoring systems were operational.
