Earthquake impact reports due today

March 31, 2026 10:10 pm | Posted in Business News | Share now TwitterFacebook

By Anita Roberts.

Area Administrators (AAs) of all eleven Area Councils of SANMA Province have been instructed to submit reports on any damage caused by the 7.2 magnitude earthquake by today.

This was conveyed by the Secretary General (SG) of the SANMA Provincial Government Council (SPGC), Jonathan Iavere, who is also the Chairman of the SANMA Provincial Disaster and Climate Change Committee (PDCCC).

Mr. Iavere convened members of the PDCCC and Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) for their first meeting yesterday. After the meeting, he said he had instructed all AAs to check mainly schools, clinics, and dispensaries in their respective Area Councils.

The PDCCC Chairman said there are plans to engage engineers to inspect government buildings and road infrastructure affected by the earthquake.

He mentioned that the Vanuatu Police Force (VPF) will also be engaged to ensure that shop owners whose buildings were badly damaged remain closed until an engineer certifies they are safe.

Officers from the Luganville Municipal Council and Food Security will ensure that shops do not sell food or items that pose a risk to the public following the earthquake.

Currently, the Luganville Water Supply is still not operational, so schools remain closed. Iavere said they were assured in their meeting that the water supply would be back on by yesterday afternoon.

With parts of Santo still receiving ashfall from the Ambae volcano, the PDCCC Chairman said community awareness will continue to guide people on how to protect themselves.

The earthquake was felt on Santo, Efate, and Malekula, with damage mostly seen on Santo. Preliminary reports indicate no casualties or injuries from the earthquake, the second major one in just over a year following the 2024 event that affected Port Vila.

Photos shared on social media show mostly fallen goods and items inside shops and offices, without major structural damage to buildings.

Meanwhile, the government said it is waiting for a report from the SANMA EOC, which will be presented to the Council of Ministers (COM) this week.