A magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck near Vanuatu early Tuesday afternoon, triggering small tsunami waves, causing serious damage to the U.S. Embassy in the capital and knocking out most of the internet connectivity in the Pacific Island nation.

       The websites of government agencies and a major power company were offline after the earthquake, and the Australian High Commission said that its communication systems in Vanuatu had been affected. NetBlocks, a cybersecurity monitoring organization, said that there was a “near-total loss of internet connectivity” across the country.

       Phone calls to government agencies and the police in Vanuatu did not go through.

       Shake intensity

       Note: Map shows the area with a shake intensity of 4 or greater, which U.S.G.S. defines as “light,” though the earthquake may be felt outside the areas shown. Source: U.S.G.S. By William B. Davis and John Keefe

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