New Zealand support has arrived in Vanuatu after this week's earthquake. Photo: RNZ / Koroi Hawkins
Boarding has started for New Zealand's last repatriation flight from Port Vila after Tuesday's magnitude 7.3 earthquake.
Passengers heading home on the RNZAF Boeing 757 on Saturday afternoon include stranded tourists of various nationalities, returning disaster response officials and media.
Staff at the Port Vila's Bauerfield International Airport International Airport said repairs to the quake-damaged international terminal were ongoing. The intention was to resume commercial airline services on Monday, but for now flights remained suspended.
Fiji Airways, Qantas, Jetstar and Solomon Airlines were all interested in resuming flights, Jason Rakau, CEO of Airports Vanuatu, told RNZ.
Aid supplies from Australia are unloaded at Port Vila's main airport, as earthquake response efforts continue in Vanuatu, on 21 December, 2024. Photo: RNZ/ Koroi Hawkins
"We've done our best to do this so that we can enable commercial airlines to bring stranded passengers, particularly Vanuatu citizens, back to the country," he said.
"And also passengers that have been stranded here in Vanuatu, allowing them to return to their respective homes and families and hopefully before Christmas so they can have a good Christmas…
"We encourage affected passengers who have been disrupted by the cancellation of flights over the last few days to contact the relevant airlines over the next coming hours and days to reconfirm bookings, as we slowly recover from this situation that we're in."
Earthquake response efforts continue in Vanuatu, on 21 December, 2024. Photo: RNZ/ Koroi Hawkins
The runways and taxiways were luckily unaffected by the quake, Rakau said, as was the building structure.
"We've confirmed that by bringing in a certified aviation infrastructure engineer who conducted an assessment yesterday to confirm this. From our initial assessments, and he has confirmed that yes, there has been no damage sustained to our airport infrastructure and that they are certified for safe operations."
Water needed
The head of World Vision Vanuatu said international assistance was making a real difference following the quake, but the situation was still grave.
Sixteen people have been confirmed killed, a number expected to rise.
World Vision Vanuatu director Clement Chipokolo told RNZ's Saturday Morning much of the capital Port Vila is without power and water, and some roads are still closed.
He said water was urgently needed.
People queue at Port Vila's airport for the last repatriation flight planned to New Zealand, as earthquake response efforts continue in Vanuatu, on 21 December, 2024. Photo: RNZ/ Koroi Hawkins
"The situation is increasingly becoming dire, with potential epidemics breaking out because of lack of water. So that's where now we are supporting the Department of Water, working alongside other partners, to start the distribution of water.
"So right now as I speak, we have deployed one of our teams that's doing some water tracking."
Aftermath of Vanuatu earthquake
Chipokolo said World Vision was distributing jerry cans and hygiene kits to reduce the risk of disease spreading.
Meanwhile, search and rescue teams were scouring the rubble of pancaked buildings, but hope was fading that anyone trapped would be found alive.
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