US closes embassy in Vanuatu after major earthquake

The United States has closed its embassy in Vanuatu after a major earthquake caused "considerable damage" to the mission, the country's embassy in Papua New Guinea said.

"The US embassy in Port Vila has sustained considerable damage and is closed until further notice," it said in a statement on social media.

"Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this earthquake."

The embassy later said that all personnel who were in the building when the earthquake struck are safe and accounted for.

The building also houses the UK and other diplomatic missions.

New Zealand said: "Our High Commission building, which is co-located with the United States, the French and the United Kingdom, has sustained significant damage," it said.

"New Zealand is deeply concerned about the significant earthquake in Vanuatu, and the damage it has caused."

The 7.3-magnitude quake struck at a depth of 57km, some 30km off the coast of Efate, Vanuatu's main island, at 12.47pm (1.47am Irish time), according to the US Geological Survey.

A 5.5-magnitude aftershock struck minutes after the main quake, followed by a series of lesser tremors over the following hours.

Earthquakes are common in Vanuatu, a low-lying archipelago of 320,000 people that straddles the seismic Ring of Fire, an arc of intense tectonic activity that stretches through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin.

The streets of the capital were strewn with broken glass and other debris from damaged buildings.

A tsunami warning was issued after the quake, with waves of up to one metre forecast for some areas of Vanuatu, but it was soon lifted by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre.

Australia stands ready to help, said Foreign Minister Penny Wong.

"Vanuatu is family and we will always be there in times of need," she said in a statement.

Vanuatu is ranked as one of the countries most susceptible to natural disasters such as earthquakes, storm damage, flooding and tsunamis, according to the annual World Risk Report.