Australian Aid Team Arrives in Vanuatu Amid Rising Earthquake Casualties
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Sydney, Dec 18 (NationPress) Officials from Australia have set off for Vanuatu to assist with the search and rescue operations after a significant earthquake resulted in the deaths of at least 14 individuals.
The Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) of Australia dispatched its initial relief personnel to Vanuatu on Wednesday afternoon aboard a Royal Australian Air Force C-17 Globemaster heading towards Port Vila.
Earlier that same day, the government of Vanuatu verified reports from the Red Cross indicating that at least 14 fatalities had occurred following the striking of a 7.3-magnitude earthquake on Tuesday.
Dickinson Tevi, the Secretary-General of the Vanuatu Red Cross Society, informed the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that he anticipates the death toll will rise.
The leader of DART's task force, Douglas May, remarked that the relief crew—which includes firefighters, paramedics, engineers, doctors, and canine search and rescue units—is prepared for a challenging mission ahead.
"We expect that as soon as we arrive, we will be engaged in rescuing known live victims," he disclosed to reporters before their departure.
"Ultimately, we recognize that there are lives that need saving. Thus, that will be our priority, followed by helping to locate the deceased and providing essentials such as water purification."
More than 200 individuals have sustained injuries, and rescue efforts are concentrated on two structures that collapsed in the capital, as stated by Vanuatu Police Commissioner Robson Iavro.
The National Disaster Management Office reported that among the confirmed deceased, six perished in landslides, four were victims of a collapsed building, and four died at Vila Central Hospital, according to Xinhua news agency.
According to the ABC, some regions of the island nation remained without power and water as of Wednesday afternoon.
Tevi informed ABC Television that the Red Cross has sent volunteers to support the Central Hospital and to evaluate the damage across the island.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimated that approximately 116,000 individuals have been impacted by the earthquake.
