Rescuers dig for survivors of Vanuatu earthquake with no water and unclear death toll

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Vanuatu's capital was without water on Wednesday, a day after reservoirs were destroyed by a violent magnitude 7.3 earthquake that wrought havoc on the South Pacific island nation, with the number of people killed and injured expected to rise.

The government's disaster management office said early Wednesday that 14 deaths were confirmed, but hours later said nine had been verified by the main hospital. The number was “expected to increase" as people remained trapped in fallen buildings, a spokesperson said. About 200 people have been treated for injuries.

Two of those killed were Chinese nationals, according to China’s official Xinhua News Agency, which cited Gu Zihua, an official at the Chinese embassy in Vanuatu.

Frantic rescue efforts that began at flattened buildings after the quake hit early Tuesday afternoon continued 30 hours later, with dozens working in dust and heat with little water to seek those yelling for help inside. A few more survivors were extracted from the rubble of downtown buildings in Port Vila, also the country's largest city, while others remained trapped and some were found dead.

A near-total telecommunications collapse meant people struggled to confirm their relatives' safety. Some providers began to reestablish phone service but connections were patchy.

Internet service had not been restored because the submarine cable supplying it was damaged, the operator said.

The earthquake hit at a depth of 57 kilometers (35 miles) and was centered 30 kilometers (19 miles) west of the capital of Vanuatu, a group of 80 islands home to about 330,000 people. A tsunami warning was called off less than two hours after the quake, but dozens of large aftershocks continued to rattle the country.

The Asia-Pacific head of the International Federation of Red Cross, Katie Greenwood, speaking to The Associated Press from Fiji, said it was not clear how many people were still missing or killed.

“We have anecdotal information coming from people at the search and rescue site that are fairly confident that unfortunately those numbers will rise,” she said.

The capital’s main medical facility, Vila Central Hospital, was badly damaged and patients were moved to a military camp. Clement Chipokolo, Vanuatu country director at the Christian relief agency World Vision, said health care services, already strained before the quake, were overwhelmed.

While power was out in swathes of Port Vila, the biggest fear among aid agencies was the lack of water. Two large reservoirs serving the capital were totally decimated, the National Disaster Management Office said.

Resident Milroy Cainton said people were joining large queues to buy water in stores, but could only purchase two or four bottles at a time. “People are not really concerned about electricity, they're just concerned about water,” he said.

UNICEF was recording a rise in diarrhea among children, a sign that they had begun to drink tainted water, said the chief of the Vanuatu office, Eric Durpaire. Officials told residents of areas where water had been restored to boil it.

At least 10 buildings sustained major damage, many in a busy downtown area full of lunchtime shoppers when the quake hit. An unknown number of people were trapped inside, and Cainton, the resident, said rescuers had been forced to target their efforts to where they believed people could be saved.

Michael Thompson, who runs a tourism business in Vanuatu, was among the rescuers and posted a video on Facebook of the frenzied efforts and dust-covered survivors on gurneys along with pleas for people to bring tools and water to the site.

Officials said Wednesday night that Port Vila appeared to be the worst-hit area, but some nearby villages and offshore islands had experienced landslides. Three bridges were “at high risk of collapse” in heavy rain, the government said.

A building housing a number of diplomatic missions in Port Vila — including those of the United States, Britain, France and New Zealand — was destroyed, with a section of the building cleaving off and flattening the first floor. Windows were buckled and walls crumbled.

The U.S. State Department said its embassy staff were safe, but the building was no longer functional. The office opened in July as part of a push by the U.S. to expand its Pacific presence to counter China’s influence in the region.

New Zealand’s foreign ministry said officials have accounted for all embassy staff. Australia’s foreign ministry said its workers were safe.

Damage to the seaport and airport is likely to hamper aid efforts and economic recovery in a country dependent on agricultural exports and tourism. The airport was closed to commercial flights for a further 72 hours from Wednesday.

But the runway was deemed functional for humanitarian flights by French engineers who arrived by helicopter. Military craft from Australia and New Zealand were due to begin arriving Wednesday night, carrying search and rescue personnel and equipment, as well as relief supplies.

Dan McGarry, a journalist living in Vanuatu, said there had been a “massive landslide” at the international shipping terminal. The government said the main wharf was closed.

Vanuatu’s position on a subduction zone — where the Indo-Australian tectonic plate moves beneath the Pacific Plate — means earthquakes of greater than magnitude 6 are not uncommon, and the country’s buildings are intended to withstand quake damage.

Associated Press writers Mayuko Ono in Tokyo, Japan; Rod McGuirk in Melbourne, Australia; and Emily Wang in Beijing contributed to this report.

In this photo released by Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), Australians board a Royal Australian Air Force aircraft in Port Vila, Vanuatu in the early hours of Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024, following a powerful earthquake that struck just off the coast of Vanuatu in the South Pacific Ocean, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. (DFAT via AP)

Damage to the inside of the Nambawan Cafe in Port Vila, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024, following a strong earthquake that struck just off the coast of Vanuatu in the South Pacific Ocean. (Ivan Oswald via AP)

This photo released by Australian Department of Defence, shows Australian citizens on board a Royal Australian Air Force aircraft for a flight home from Bauerfield International Airport, Port Vila, Vanuatu, Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024 following a powerful earthquake that struck just off the coast of Vanuatu in the South Pacific Ocean. (CPL Adam Abela/Australian Department of Defence via AP)

In this photo released by Australian Department of Defence, Australians disembark from an aircraft at RAAF Base Amberley, Australia after a flight home from Port Vila, Vanuatu, Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024, following a powerful earthquake that struck just off the coast of Vanuatu in the South Pacific Ocean. (CPL Adam Abela/Australian Department of Defence via AP)

A Royal New Zealand Air Force Hercules C130 H takes off for Vanuatu, from Auckland, New Zealand, Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024 following a strong earthquake that struck just off the coast of Vanuatu in the South Pacific Ocean, Tuesday, Dec. 17. (SGT Maria Eves/New Zealand Defence Force via AP)

A Royal New Zealand Air Force Hercules C130 H is loaded up with supplies to deliver to Vanuatu, in Auckland, New Zealand, Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024, following a strong earthquake that struck just off the coast of Vanuatu in the South Pacific Ocean, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. (SGT Maria Eves/New Zealand Defence Force via AP)

In this image released by Vanuatu Red Cross Society, its volunteers assist staff with the clean up at Vila Central Hospital in Port Vila, Vanuatu Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024, following a powerful earthquake that struck just off the coast of Vanuatu in the South Pacific Ocean. (Vanuatu Red Cross Society via AP)

A Royal New Zealand Air Force Hercules C130 H is loaded up with supplies to deliver to Vanuatu, in Auckland, New Zealand, Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024, following a strong earthquake that struck just off the coast of Vanuatu in the South Pacific Ocean, Tuesday, Dec. 17. (SGT Maria Eves/New Zealand Defence Force via AP)

Members of the New Zealand Fire Service board a Royal New Zealand Air Force Hercules C130 H for a flight to Vanuatu, in Auckland, New Zealand, Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024, following a magnitude 7.3 earthquake that struck just off the coast of Vanuatu in the South Pacific Ocean, Tuesday, Dec. 17. (SGT Maria Eves/New Zealand Defence Force via AP)

In this image released by Vanuatu Red Cross Society, its volunteers assist staff with the clean up at Vila Central Hospital in Port Vila, Vanuatu Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024, following a powerful earthquake that struck just off the coast of Vanuatu in the South Pacific Ocean. (Vanuatu Red Cross Society via AP)

This image made from a video shows a landslide near an international shipping terminal in Port Vila, Vanuatu following a powerful earthquake Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. (Dan McGarry via AP)

This image made from a video shows a landslide near an international shipping terminal in Port Vila, Vanuatu following a powerful earthquake Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. (Dan McGarry via AP)

A building damaged in Port Vila, Vanuatu, following a powerful earthquake Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. (Tim Cutler via AP)

The inside of a building damaged is seen in Port Vila, Vanuatu, following a powerful earthquake Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. (Tim Cutler via AP)

The inside of a building damaged is seen in Port Vila, Vanuatu, following a powerful earthquake Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. (Tim Cutler via AP)

A building is seen damaged in Port Vila, Vanuatu following a powerful earthquake Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. (Tim Cutler via AP)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Luka Doncic will miss the rest of the Los Angeles Lakers' regular season with a Grade 2 strain of his left hamstring, the team announced Friday.

Doncic is the NBA's top scorer and the driving force behind the Lakers' surge into the third spot in the Western Conference standings, but he injured his leg during Los Angeles' blowout loss in Oklahoma City on Thursday. An MRI exam revealed the severity of the strain.

The Pacific Division champion Lakers (50-27) have just five games left before the postseason, starting Sunday at Dallas.

Grade 2 hamstring strains sometimes require several weeks of recovery, but Doncic also has prior experience with hamstring issues. He missed four games right before the All-Star break with another left hamstring strain, but returned to the lineup after the break.

Doncic is putting up spectacular numbers in his first full season with the Lakers, who acquired the Slovenian superstar from the Mavericks last season. He is averaging 33.5 points, 8.3 assists and 7.7 rebounds per game for Los Angeles, and he was named the NBA's Western Conference player of the month for March after racking up 13 consecutive 30-point performances, including seven 40-point games, a 51-point barrage against Chicago and a 60-point masterclass in Miami.

Doncic scored a whopping 600 points in March, becoming only the 10th player in NBA history to hit that mark in one month. While LeBron James and Austin Reaves have also played well down the stretch, the Lakers thoroughly depend on Doncic, who either scored or assisted on 58% of the their total points in March.

Doncic is all but certain to win his second NBA scoring title — but he has played in only 64 games this season, which means he will finish one game shy of the 65-game threshold to be eligible for the NBA's biggest postseason awards.

He was a lock to be an All-NBA selection, and he had even been making a late run at consideration for the MVP award with his outstanding play down the stretch.

Along with his two absences caused by hamstring injuries and a handful of additional absences for minor medical maintenance early in the season, Doncic missed two games last December while flying to Slovenia for the birth of his second child. He also missed one game last week under suspension for accumulating 16 technical fouls.

Since he sits just shy of the 65-game threshold, Doncic theoretically could challenge the rule by citing the extraordinary circumstances of his daughter's birth in Europe through the grievance process created for these collectively bargained rules. It's wholly unclear whether that appeal would have any chance of success.

If Doncic wins the scoring title but doesn't make the All-NBA teams, he would be only the third scoring champ in league history to fail to do so. Elvin Hayes wasn't selected when he won the crown as a rookie in 1969, and Bob McAdoo wasn't chosen for the teams in 1976.

Lakers coach JJ Redick said Doncic was injured in the first half against the Thunder, but was cleared to return to the game while his team was getting plastered by the defending NBA champion Thunder. Doncic lasted only about four minutes before he spun, stopped and went down on the court in pain, leading to his departure.

The loss was only the Lakers' third in 19 games since Feb. 26, but Doncic's absence casts a cloud of uncertainty over the rest of their year. Los Angeles only leads fourth-place Denver (49-28) by one game, while sixth-place Minnesota (46-30) is 3 1/2 games back with a game in hand.

The Lakers’ regular-season finale is next Sunday, April 12, at home against Utah. Their first-round playoff series is expected to start the following weekend.

AP Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds contributed to this report.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA

Los Angeles Lakers forward/guard Luka Dončić (77) drives against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Cason Wallace (22) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, April. 2, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Gerald Leong)

Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) gestures after a three-point basket against the Indiana Pacers during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Indianapolis, Wednesday, March 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) is fouled by Orlando Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. (34) as Magic forward Tristan da Silva, right, helps defend during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, March 21, 2026, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)