November 26, 1999 Earthquake: Pentecost, Vanuatu Islands

Central Pentecost is the worst affected by the earthquake with an estimated 90% of permanent concrete buildings having suffered structural damage and 30% of local houses fallen down in the violent 5 minute shakedown.

The earthquake that measured 7.1 on the Richter scale was one of the biggest ever measured in the Pacific. The epicentre between Pentecost and Ambrym deep under the ocean at latitude 16.5, longitude 168 some 20kms south of Pentecost. It occurred just at midnight on Friday November 26th and resulted in the deaths seven people, formed a 30 foot tsunami wave that has killed a further three people, injured scores of people, destroyed villages and sunk a 50 ton ship. (all above from reference #11896)

The earthquake, centered about 90 km north of Port Vila, the capital, caused extensive damage on the relatively undeveloped Pentecost Island, which has a population of about 12,000. The Vanuatu police joint planning and operations officer reported that eight people were confirmed dead and another two were presumed dead. Boulders and landslides cut off the dirt track linking the scattered population. Communication via the small number of telephones on the island was difficult. Five of the dead were people confirmed to have perished in a collapsed building in the central part of the island (Ena Village) in the earthquake,. More than 100 people were injured and the most seriously injured were flown to hospitals in Port Vila and on neighboring islands for treatment. (Reference #45)

Damage and landslides also occurred on Ambrym, Epi, and Paama. Felt strongly in much of Vanuatu. (Reference #1053)

Five were killed at Ena Village in the earthquake, and five in the tsunami at Baie Martelli at Southern Pentecost. (reference #1315)

On 26 November 1999, a Mw 7.5 thrust-type earthquake occurred east of Ambrym Island in the back-arc compressive zone of central Vanuatu (Pelletier et al., 2000; Lagabrielle et al., 2003; Regnier et al., 2003). It is the largest known event in the Vanuatu back arc. It caused an uplift (up to 1.5 m) on the easternmost tip of Ambrym (Pelletier et al., 2000) and triggered a destructive tsunami affecting the south Pentecost and east Ambrym island shorelines, as well as on more distant islands such as Malekula and Efate, killing five people and fully destroying the village of Martelli Bay on southern Pentecost Island (Caminade et al., 2000). (reference #13893)