A magnitude 7.3 earthquake that struck off Vanuatu killed at least 14 people, injured hundreds more and caused widespread damage across the South Pacific island nation, officials said Wednesday, with the figure expected to rise. Frantic rescue efforts began after the quake hit early on Tuesday afternoon, and rescuers worked through the night to reach people yelling for help from under the rubble, with some dramatically rescued and others still trapped. The earthquake hit at a depth of 57 kilometers (35 miles) and was centered 30 kilometers (19 miles) west of Port Vila, the capital of Vanuatu, a group of 80 islands home to about 330,000 people.
Rescuers dig for survivors of Vanuatu earthquake that killed 14 people and injured more than 200
