·

Tsunami travels 200 m (650 feet) inland, damages a school and wipes out 2 homes, Vanuatu

vanuatu-tsunami-december-2018

A tsunami caused by M7.5 earthquake near the coast of New Caledonia on December 5, 2018, hit Vanuatu, damaging a school and wiping out two homes.

According to the owner of a tour company on nearby Mystery Island, Benie Masauvakalo, a surge of water moved inland but there were no casualties or injuries because people had fled to higher ground.

Speaking to Radio New Zealand from Port Villa, Masauvakalo said the water moved in 200 m (650 feet) inland, damaging a school in the village of Umeij and two or three homes.

"The tide followed the river mouth. Those houses are standing by the river and got washed off," he said.

Mystery Island is located 200 km (124 miles) N of the epicenter.

At another end of Umeij village where there is another stream, the water from the tsunami reportedly reached a height of 2 m (6.5 feet) as it traveled inland, the Vanuatu Daily Post reported.

The paper said there were some damage to houses and taro patches in the village of Anelcauhat, located near the coast.

Mystery Island residents said they did not get any warning. They reportedly saw the sea surge and moved to higher ground.

Mystery Island location, Vanuatu. Credit: Google, USGS, TW

Featured image: Facebook / Mystery Island Personal Glass Bottom Boats

Share:

Commenting rules and guidelines

We value the thoughts and opinions of our readers and welcome healthy discussions on our website. In order to maintain a respectful and positive community, we ask that all commenters follow these rules:

  • Treat others with kindness and respect.
  • Stay on topic and contribute to the conversation in a meaningful way.
  • Do not use abusive or hateful language.
  • Do not spam or promote unrelated products or services.
  • Do not post any personal information or content that is illegal, obscene, or otherwise inappropriate.

We reserve the right to remove any comments that violate these rules. By commenting on our website, you agree to abide by these guidelines. Thank you for helping to create a positive and welcoming environment for all.

Leave a reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *