Massive Earthquake Hits Pacific Island Nation of Vanuatu

The surf community of Pango is located just six kilometers from Port Vila on the edge of a lagoon and home to multiple A-frame peaks and point breaks. The community has a close relationship with the ocean, with many surfers spending years playing in the shallows with their families for years prior to picking up a surfboard. The community has started to produce some quality surfers in recent years who have earned their stripes on the reef breaks along the lagoon that surrounds the village. Pango also hosts annual surf festivals and is the heart of ni-Van surfing. All communications with Pango have been cut off since the earthquake and the extent of any damage in the community is unknown. 

Kiwi surf photographer and long-time Pango resident Glen Craig said, “Unfortunately it will be a mass casualty event by the looks of it with at least 10 buildings collapsed [in Port Vila] and an unknown number of people inside some of them…The priority will be search and rescue for the buildings that have collapsed along with medical teams to offer assistance and engineers to clear the critical infrastructure safe for entering.”

New Zealand and Australian search and rescue teams have arrived in Port Vila to assist with efforts to search for missing people in the rubble and help treat the hundreds who are injured. Some airlines have suspended flights to Vanuatu due to possible damage to Port Vila airport infrastructure. Much of Vanuatu is without water as reserves that supply clean water across most of the country were damaged in the quake and there are growing concerns for the public health system’s capacity to deal with the growing cases of waterborne diseases.