Aussies caught up in Vanuatu earthquake tragedy return home as RAAF plane touches down in Brisbane

More Australians caught up Vanuatu’s earthquake tragedy have returned home on emergency flights facilitated by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF).

Dozens arrived through Brisbane’s International Terminal on Thursday evening after Air Force planes flew out of Port Vila - some smiling and speaking media as they passed through.

A selfie photo from Emerentiana Ningiga, taken inside an RAAF plane, shows a group of evacuees sitting in casual clothes and chatting.

Some 148 Australians also arrived home overnight on Wednesday on RAAF flights.

The federal government organised the evacuation following Tuesday’s deadly 7.3 magnitude earthquake, which struck the small Pacific country and devastated its capital Port Vila.

Tim Cutler, an Australian Port Vila resident, told 7News some impacted Australians were desperate to leave Vanuatu and return home.

“One of them screamed out, ‘we’re going. The high commissioner is flying us home. Thank you for everything’,” he said.

“And they literally just dropped their food and ran outside...to get themselves to the airport.”

At least 14 people have been reported killed and more than 116,000 are estimated to be affected.

Authorities are bracing for the death toll to rise.

Vanuatu’s caretaker prime minister has declared a state of emergency, including a seven-day curfew for areas impacted most.

The federal government has deployed an immediate $2m response package, which includes a 64-person Disaster Assistance Response Team and two canines to undertake urban search and rescue operations.

The team will work alongside local authorities to recover people trapped within buildings, the government said on Wednesday.

An Australian Medical Assistance Team has also been deployed alongside a five-person crisis response team from DFAT, a liaison officer from the National Emergency Management Agency and a further nine AFP officers to add to the six officers already posted to Vanuatu.

A Royal Australian Air Force C-17 Globemaster III and C-130J Hercules transported the teams to the country and the government said the Australian Defence Force was “ready to provide further support as needed”.

DFAT said there were are a number of Australians in the affected region it was providing consular assistance to those in need.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the support package would deliver “lifesaving assistance”.

“We send our deepest condolences following this dreadful tragedy,” she said on Wednesday.

“My message to the people of Vanuatu is Australia is here to help. This immediate package of support will ensure those in urgent need receive lifesaving assistance.”

Australia’s envoy to Vanuatu Max Willis said earlier on Tuesday the Australian High Commission’s communications systems were affected by the earthquake.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has also pledged to “assist the people of Vanuatu in any way we can”.

The US has closed its embassy in Port Vila due to severe damage to the building housing it.

The building also houses the French Embassy and British and New Zealand high commissions.

Geoscience Australia recorded a second quake early on Wednesday.

The government agency reported it as a magnitude 6.0 with a depth of 72km.

In contrast, Tuesday’s quake was reported with a depth of 10km.