Close to 150 Australian citizens return home from Vanuatu after powerful earthquake
Close to 150 Australian citizens have been assisted in returning home after a powerful magnitude-7.3 earthquake struck near Vanuatu's capital earlier this week.
The Australians were brought back on Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) flights, which arrived this morning.
The death toll from the earthquake has now climbed to 14, with widespread damage to infrastructure across the affected areas.
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About 148 Australian citizens were assisted back to Australia from Vanuatu. Supplied
It's understood additional assistance will be provided where possible, ahead of the airport reopening in the coming days.
Australian aid teams have also arrived in Vanuatu to assist in search and rescue efforts for people believed to be trapped under buildings in Port Vila.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong said search and rescue teams would work with local authorities to help those trapped in collapsed buildings after the "devastating" quake and the medical team would treat the injured.
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Australian emergency crews are on the ground in Vanuatu following the devastating earthquake. Supplied
Australian aid teams have also arrived in Vanuatu to assist in search. Supplied
Support includes a 64-person disaster assistance response team, two canines, a six-person medical assistance team, nine Australian Federal Police members and a five-person team from DFAT.
Vanuatu was rocked by a second earthquake yesterday, even as rescuers shovelled away rubble to reach trapped survivors.
Geosciences Australia confirmed that a second aftershock hit at 5.17am AEDT yesterday.
The quake was measured at magnitude 6 and struck at a depth of 72km.
Australian citizens and permanent residents in Vanuatu have been urged to register with DFAT's registration online portal to receive information and updates.
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