The Australian government has repatriated 148 citizens on two air force planes sent to deliver search and rescue teams and other assistance following a 7.3-magnitude earthquake that devastated Port Vila.
A young mother fresh off a nine-month Queensland work stint is among the dead.
Overnight, 148 Australian citizens returned home on the two RAAF aircraft that delivered vital assistance to Vanuatu.— Senator Penny Wong (@SenatorWong) We are helping Vanuatu to restore operations at the commercial airport.Additional assistance will be provided where possible, ahead of the airport reopening. pic.twitter.com/r6Pzn8f6PgDecember 18, 2024
The death toll stood at 14 late on Wednesday with at least 200 injured, according to the Red Cross.
No Australians have been confirmed dead in the quake but one case shows the ties between the two Pacific neighbours.
Rodney Prestia, chief executive of labour hire business iComply, told AAP a 26-year-old woman who he identified only as Valerie was crushed in a collapsed building.
"It's an absolute tragedy and our team's been really rattled by it," he said.
One Australian, who wanted to be identified only as Henry due to privacy concerns, described challenges including no communication from the Australian government and a struggle to find accommodation.
They checked into a resort but heard nothing from the Australian government on what to do, and were forced to leave that accommodation the next day as they didn't have a booking.
The manager drove them to the high commission and although staff assured they would arrange accommodation "no further communication or support was provided, even after waiting over an hour", he told AAP.
A Qantas representative was able to arrange a stay at the Holiday Inn but there was no clear support from Australia, he said.
"Communication has been non-existent and we feel abandoned in the midst of this crisis," they said late on Wednesday night ahead of the repatriation flights.
Henry remained in Vanuatu on Thursday with other stranded Australians who weren't on the repatriation flights.
"As Australian citizens, we feel let down by the lack of preparation and immediate response during such a critical time," he said.
"We are sharing this story to shed light on the experiences of Australians left without support in emergencies abroad.
"It highlights the urgent need for improved communication and crisis management to ensure citizens are not left feeling stranded and unsupported during disasters."
The flights that brought rescuers to Vanuatu have returned with almost 150 Australians on board. (Supplied/AAP PHOTOS)
Tim Cutler, the Sydney-raised boss of Vanuatu Cricket, was having lunch in the downtown Coffee Tree cafe when the mighty tremor shook the buildings around him.
"The first shake was not an alien feeling to anyone that has spent much time in Vanuatu. You get frequent tremors," he told AAP.
"But it just got stronger and stronger so I went from a moment of 'oh' to 'oh no'.
"A water tank fell over and rolled onto a lady hiding under a table ... it was just surreal slow-motion (that felt) somewhere between a dream or a movie or at a theme park."
With the airport reopening on Wednesday afternoon, relief and support from Australia was able to touch down including a C17 Globemaster and C130 Hercules with personnel from Queensland and NSW fire and rescue.
Australian Federal Police, a foreign affairs department crisis response team and a medical assistance team were also deployed.
Their first priority was to help people trapped under the rubble of collapsed buildings as "there are lives to be saved there right now", taskforce leader chief superintendent Douglas May said.
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