Number of dead and missing still unclear as first aid arrives in quake-hit Pacific nation of Vanuatu

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Amid the havoc wrought by a violent earthquake two days earlier, Ivan Oswald and his staff prepared for lunchtime service Thursday at Nambawan Cafe, on an idyllic stretch of Vanuatu's waterfront.

The menu for the usual lunchtime rush was replaced with defrosted sausages for emergency workers sifting through rubble in search of those trapped alive or killed in flattened buildings when the massive, 7.3 jolt hit Port Vila, Vanuatu's capital 48 hours earlier. Search crews were joined Thursday by specialists arriving in waves from Australia, New Zealand and France.

Earthquakes are normal for the South Pacific nation made up of 80 islands and home to 330,000 people, but Tuesday’s terrifying shake was like nothing residents had felt before. Centered 30 kilometers (19 miles) offshore, at a depth of 57 kilometers (35 miles), the quake was followed by hundreds of rattling aftershocks.

Death toll remains uncertain

The death toll was still unclear and official information remained scarce.

The government initially confirmed 14 deaths. On Wednesday, it said nine had been verified by the hospital -- but officials expected the number would rise. More than 200 injured people were treated, officials said, but that figure has not been updated since around early Wednesday.

On Thursday, telecommunications -- though piecemeal and patchy -- were more widely restored after a near total blackout following the quake. It offered residents of Vanuatu answers about the scale of the damage and about how many people were missing.

As word got around that Nambawan had power and an independent internet source, rescuers, tourists and locals visited to charge devices and attempt to locate their relatives.

“We've had a few tears,” said Oswald, the cafe's owner. “I can't help with the rescue, but I can help with this.”

Damage concentrated in the capital

The extent of the havoc became clearer on Thursday. The worst-hit area was Port Vila's downtown, busy with lunchtime shoppers on Tuesday. Some outlying islands and villages near the quake's epicenter have experienced landslides.

Infrastructure damage was extensive, including to hospitals, roads, buildings, two major water reservoirs and gas pipes, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said late on Wednesday. Response efforts were hampered by access problems.

A massive landslide has blocked the sea port, limiting the transport of essential supplies and personnel, the UN agency said. The airport was open only for humanitarian use on Thursday, but the runway has been deemed operational and the resumption of commercial flights will be considered on Friday.

But risk of more serious slips loomed as rain began late Thursday night. A low pressure system moving towards Vanuatu threatened a low to medium chance of a cyclone, according to the Bureau of Meteorology, and more rain was expected in coming days.

That could prompt further landslides, erosion and floods in already vulnerable areas, officials said, as they warned those living on hillsides to evacuate.

Fears over water and damage to buildings

Aid agencies told The Associated Press on Wednesday that their biggest worries were about drinking water and shelter for those unable to return home. The main utilities provider, UNELCO, said it could take two weeks to fully restore water service, according to the Vanuatu Broadcasting and Television Corporation.

The hunt for survivors and recovery of bodies centered on two collapsed buildings in the city center, with Australian search experts on Thursday joining locals who had desperately dug for people yelling out from the crumpled structures. After dramatic rescues of dust-covered survivors that lifted spirits on Tuesday and Wednesday, the mood had become bleaker about the prospects for those trapped, residents said.

It was not known how many people remained in the buildings — a garage and a surf clothing store. Among the dead was a French national, Vincent Goiset, said Jean-Baptiste Jeangène Vilmer, France's ambassador to Vanuatu.

Two Chinese nationals were also killed, according to China’s official Xinhua News Agency, which cited Gu Zihua, an official at the Chinese embassy.

An economic blow

Another building housing embassies for several countries — including the United States, France and New Zealand — also crumpled, but no casualties were reported. Military flights evacuated 148 Australian nationals from Vanuatu late on Wednesday.

Hundreds more foreigners waited for commercial flights to resume so they can leave. The quake at the start of the summer season in the tourism-dependent island nation threatened an economic crisis if tourists did not return, said Glen Craig, chair of the Vanuatu Business Resilience Council.

“We've had such bad luck,” said Craig, referring to the three cyclones that struck in 2023 and the collapse of Vanuatu's national airline in May. “We were just getting back on our feet and we were really looking forward to a bumper summer.”