7.4 Magnitude Earthquake Shakes Vanuatu, Indonesian Embassy In Canberra Conducts Data Collection On The Safety Of Indonesian Citizens

Earthquake illustration. (Unsplash/Jens Aber)

The Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia (KBRI) Canberra, Australia is trying to collect data on Indonesian citizens (WNI) in Vanuatu, following an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.4 that rocked the country on Tuesday.

An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.4 on the Richter scale rocked Vanuatu's capital, Port Vila, on Tuesday, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS), with footage showing damage to a building where the US embassy was located.

The earthquake occurred at a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles), according to the USGS.

There were no initial reports of injuries or deaths.

Meanwhile, footage posted on social media showed bent windows and concrete pillars that collapsed in a building where foreign missions were located in the capital, including the US Embassy, Britain, France and New Zealand.

The US Tsunami Warning System canceled the initial tsunami warning for Vanuatu.

Meanwhile, New Zealand and Australia authorities say there is no tsunami threat to their country.

The USGS itself said there was no tsunami threat for Uncle Sam's territory in Guam and Samoa America.

Separately, the Indonesian Embassy in Canberra, whose working area is Vanuatu, is making efforts to collect data on Indonesian citizens, in the midst of difficulty communicating.

"We are currently recording the safety of all Indonesian citizens in Vanuatu. The telecommunications network is currently down, making communication efforts quite difficult," said Deputy Head of Indonesian Representatives at the Indonesian Embassy in Canberra Lintang Paramitasari in a short message to VOI.

"The latest data shows that there are 47 Indonesian crew members and 1 family who are married to Indonesians," said Lintang.

"Most of the Indonesian citizens in Vanuatu are commercial crew members who live on ships. But there are also Indonesian citizens who open businesses. Hopefully all are in good health and well," he added.