More stranded Australians have returned home after Vanuatu’s worst earthquake this century, amid fears the death toll could rise as damaged infrastructure is searched.
The Australian government has repatriated an additional 135 citizens on two Royal Australian Air Force planes overnight, following a 7.3-magnitude earthquake that devastated Port Vila on Tuesday.
Their arrival came after the Australian government repatriated 148 citizens on defence planes on Wednesday. A total of 283 Australians have now been assisted to return to Brisbane across four flights.
Two further RAAF humanitarian assistance flights to Port Vila are planned for Friday to provide further assistance to Vanuatu relief efforts and return more Australians to Brisbane.
The Australian government had repatriated 148 citizens on defence planes earlier in the week. Source: AP / LAC Campbell Latch
‘We’re safe’
With a fist pump and tears of relief, Chantel Mara was visibly emotional as she stepped onto the tarmac at Brisbane International Airport, finally home after witnessing the devastation caused by the Vanuatu earthquake.
“It feels so good to be home,” she told the Australian Associated Press.
“We’re home. We’re safe.”
Up to 14 people are feared dead from the earthquake, with nine confirmed including a young mother fresh off a nine-month Queensland work stint.
Rodney Prestia, the chief executive of labour hire business iComply, said the 26-year-old woman who he identified only as Valerie was crushed in a collapsed building.
“It’s an absolute tragedy, and our team’s been really rattled by it,” he said.
No Australians have been confirmed dead in the earthquake to date, with the Red Cross reporting at least 200 people have been injured in the disaster.
‘Non-existent’ communication
Shane Cook, who was in Port Vila when the earthquake struck, also arrived on Thursday night.
“I watched buildings come down around me, and I watched people … I saw someone get crushed. It was horrific,” he told AAP.
“Everyone started yelling ‘Tsunami!’ so we had to run up a giant hill.”
Cook described waiting for hours in uncertainty.
“We literally sat on the top of the hill for about five-and-a-half hours until someone came to us and gave us some information to go to the Australian High Commission.”
Another Australian, who wanted to be identified only as Henry due to privacy concerns, had earlier in the week described challenges, including no communication from the Australian government and a struggle to find accommodation.
They checked into a resort but heard nothing from the Australian government on what to do and were forced to leave that accommodation the next day as they didn’t have a booking.
The manager drove them to the High Commission, and although staff assured them they would arrange accommodation, “no further communication or support was provided, even after waiting over an hour”, he told AAP.
A Qantas representative was able to arrange a stay at the Holiday Inn. But Henry said as of Thursday afternoon, many Australians were frustrated.
“All Australian guests staying here are feeling very frustrated as no representative from the High Commission has visited the hotel to provide updates,” he told AAP.
Australian teams are now on the ground, working closely with Vanuatu authorities to conduct urban search-and-rescue operations, removing hazardous materials and supporting health services.
Key infrastructure destroyed
UNICEF child protection officer Rebecca Olul said she had left the charity’s Vanuatu office for lunch and exited a cafe when the quake struck, throwing her to the ground.
“I was just alongside a three-storey building, so when I went down the immediate thing I did was look up and hope it wasn’t going to come down on me,” she told AAP.
UNICEF’s Port Vila field office in a six-storey building was damaged, but all 19 staff escaped injury and are now working from makeshift options.
Olul said she had driven around town and people were still sitting in parks and under trees, scared of aftershocks causing further collapses.
International assistance was needed to restore key infrastructure and it was unclear how long the recovery could take, Olul said.
Prestia, who pivoted his business to Pacific workers when backpackers stopped arriving owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, said he had worked with more than 1000 “fantastic” workers from Vanuatu.
He said any Australians wanting to help Vanuatu should visit the Melanesian paradise when conditions allow.
“It’s two and a half hours away. It’s pristine.”
