Bodies Seen In Street As Major Quake Hits Vanuatu

Map showing Vanuatu where a 7.3-magnitude quake struck on December 17. (Credit: AFP)

A powerful earthquake hit the Pacific island of Vanuatu on Tuesday, severely damaging buildings in the capital Port Vila including one housing foreign embassies, with a witness telling AFP of bodies lying in the street.

The 7.3-magnitude quake struck at a depth of 57 kilometres (35 miles), some 30 kilometres off the coast of Efate, Vanuatu's main island, at 12:47 pm (0147 GMT), according to the US Geological Survey.