A 7.4 earthquake on the scale of Vanuatu in the South Pacific...Six people killed, more than 50 injured.

[Anchor]
A 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck Vanuatu, a small island country in the South Pacific Ocean.

Six people were found to have been killed and more than 50 injured, but it is feared that the casualties will increase significantly when the damage count is in full swing.

Reporter Shin Woong-jin's report.

[Reporter]
Cars in the garage shake like toys, and a surprised man hurriedly escapes.

Moments of disaster have been captured here and there, with pharmacy items rolling around on the floor.

The strong earthquake occurred about 1 p.m. local time on the 17th, 30 kilometers from Port Villa, the capital of the South Pacific island nation of Vanuatu.

The magnitude of the earthquake varies depending on the observation agency, and it was found to be 7.3 to 7.4.

An official at the Port Villa hospital told local media that six people had died and more than 50 were injured, but an exact toll has yet to be tallied.

[Dan McGarry / Vanuatu Daily Post Director: We saw a large casualty treatment center set up outside the hospital's emergency department. There I saw several seriously injured people, some screaming in pain.]

The entire country has been hit hard, with roads cracked, buildings collapsed everywhere, and landslides.

Vanuatu, which consists of 80 islands, has a population of about 330,000, and the United Nations estimates that 116,000 people have been affected by the earthquake.

The Red Cross and the international community, including neighboring Australia, immediately declared support for the major disaster.

[Penny Wong/ Australian Foreign Minister] We will support wherever necessary. I tell the people of Vanuatu. You are my family and Australia is ready to help.

Since the initial earthquake, residents have been anxious aftershocks of 5.5 magnitude have continued several times at almost the same point.

As of 2019, the number of Korean residents in Vanuatu was 65, and no damage related to Koreans was reported.

I'm YTN's Shin Woongjin.