By Holger Mehlig

Port Vila (Vanuatu) - A violent earthquake shakes the island state of Vanuatu. At least 14 people were killed. The full extent of the destruction is not yet clear.

At least 14 people have died and around 200 others have been injured in the island state of Vanuatu as a result of the violent earthquake in the South Pacific.

This was reported by the head of delegation of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies for the Pacific, Katie Greenwood, on Platform X , citing government information.

Many buildings in the capital Port Vila were severely damaged or collapsed as a result of the tremors. The full extent of the destruction is still unclear.

The 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck the island state to the east of Australia on Tuesday.

The US earthquake monitoring station USGS located the quake at a depth of around 57 kilometers - approximately 30 kilometers west of Port Vila. The quake was followed by several aftershocks. An interim tsunami warning was lifted.

The building in Port Vila that houses the embassies of the USA , New Zealand, France and the UK was also damaged.

The Vanuatu Red Cross said that rescue workers and volunteers were working tirelessly to help those affected by the earthquake.

Vanuatu, with a population of around 330,000, consists of around 80 islands and is located almost 1800 kilometers east of Australia .

The South Pacific state lies on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, the most geologically active zone on earth.