Major earthquake, aftershock on Vanuata (So. Pacific)

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Major aftershock rocks South Pacific's Vanuatu after big quake

By Associated Press, 1/3/2002 21:46

PORT VILA, Vanuatu (AP) A major aftershock rocked the tiny South Pacific island nation of Vanuatu on Friday, a day after a powerful earthquake caused major damage.

The magnitude 6.4 aftershock shook the main island of Efate at 2:39 a.m., the U.S. Geological Survey reported. It was centered 15 miles west of Port Vila, the capital.

''It was quite frightening. We thought it was happening all over again,'' New Zealand deputy high commissioner Elizabeth Wilson said. ''We were all standing in doorways and grabbing children.''

Police said no further damage or injuries were reported.

Many small aftershocks have been felt since Thursday's magnitude 7.3 earthquake set off landslides, damaged buildings and caused people to run from their homes. Huge boulders rolled down hillsides and into Port Vila's harbor, cutting off access to its docks.

A small number of people were hospitalized with injuries from falling debris, but there were no reports of deaths, officials said.

Vanuatu is a nation of about 200,000 people and 80 islands, 1,400 miles northeast of Sydney, Australia.

A magnitude 7 quake can cause widespread loss of life and significant damage to buildings in a major urban area. Few buildings in Port Vila, a sleepy harbor outpost dotted with coconut palms, are more than two stories high.

Vanuatu, formerly known as the New Hebrides, sits on the so-called Pacific ''Ring of Fire,'' which is dotted with active and dormant volcanoes and is earthquake prone.

-- Anonymous, January 04, 2002


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