Only centimeters: a Vanuatu earthquake survivor's story

Vanuatu earthquake survivor Lester Lowane says he was centimetres from being crushed in last week's 7.3 magnitude shake.

"I saw blood on the concrete," he told RNZ Pacific, from his hospital bed.

At this time last week the 24-year-old university student was out Christmas shopping with his mum.

He said they had entered the Billabong shop in the CBD when the earthquake struck.

"In the first two seconds there were already strong shakes," Lowane said.

He said at the time he wasn't sure what to do.

"At first I thought it was going to go away but then after three or four seconds I realised that, no, it was going to be there for a little while," he said.

"So that's when I started to want to get outside the building.

"There were two doors…I checked the first door…it was locked. So we had to go around.

A local business sign in Port Vila reads “Stay strong and carry on Vanuatu”. Photo: RNZ Pacific/Moses Cakau

"That was the normal door that everyone was escaping through…but we could not run…the shaking was too strong, so we just walked.

"But unfortunately, we did not manage to reach the door and then the building fell down.

"There was a huge cement post that had fallen down just a few centimetres away from me."

He said he and mum had already fallen to the ground before the building collapsed, so when the ceiling fell, it came down on top of the cement post.

Lowane was knocked unconscious by falling concrete which left him with a jaw fracture.

"The next thing I remember is waking up," he said.

"I could feel that my jaw might be broken and looking down I saw blood on the concrete."

He said he looked around him but it was dimly lit.

Officials warn communities near rivers to prioritise their safety ahead of rain that is expected to cause flooding. Photo: Facebook/Vanuatu Police Force

"Mum was lying down unconscious but safe…there were just some clothes from the store were over on top of her and maybe one board.

"Later she also regained consciousness... I asked her if she was hurt and she said 'no' but she was just stuck."

Lester Lowane said he later realised the pocket of space he was in was big enough for him to sit up in, and his phone was not broken and there was a tunnel that went as far as where the windows of the shop would have been.

"But the main door was just a sliding door and it was crushed when the ceiling caved in and a big heavy cement block was blocking our way out."

He decided to crawl to the end of the tunnel where he could hear people outside. He started to call out, but there was too much noise outside.

"I don't think anyone heard... So that is when I started making phone calls."

Lowane told RNZ Pacific the first person he managed to reach was his cousin - gesturing towards him near his hospital bed.

"And yeah I just let him know where I was and who I am with and basically telling him to find help.

Save the Children staff loading non food items off the humanitarian plane that recently arrives in Port Vila from Australia. Photo/Save The Children NZ.

"I said we are stuck but we are right at the entrance, just send someone."

As they waited Lowane said he became more aware of other people also trapped in their part of the building.

"There was also this cashier but she was at the wall behind us.

"When the earthquake happened, she just ducked under her counter and when everything crashed down her counter was not crushed so she just sat there.

"In her case it was completely dark she could not see a single thing."

Help eventually came but it would take 24 hours before the search and rescue teams finally pulled them out of the rubble.

"They had to cut open the concrete - as we were surrounded by concrete - so they managed to make an opening so we can crawl out."

The clinical lead of the Vila Central Hospital Emergency Operations Command Dr Sale Tamata Vurobaravu said when Lowane was brought in he was covered from head to toe in white concrete dust.

His mother and their fellow survivor escaped the ordeal with minor bruises and scratches and "just me with the broken jaw".

Lowane said for several days after the quake, he still felt quite fearful, especially with the strong aftershocks persisting.

But he thinks he is past that now and said he is just focused on healing physically and mentally.

"I am just thankful to have escaped such a tragic event and I have my family around me supporting me.

"That is something I am grateful for. So right now I am just focussing on recovering and moving on."

Lowane has a keen interest in mechanical engineering and is the recipient of an Australian education scholarship to study Aviation Management next year.

We wrapped up our interview but Lowane asked for me to turn my recorder back on so he could personally thank everyone who had helped in the search and rescue effort.

Watch the interview with Save the Children's Pacific Regional Director Kim Koch on Pacific Mornings, 20 December.

"Yes, a big thank you to so many the VMF (Vanuatu Mobile Force), Pro Rescue (Private Emergency Medical Outfit) and especially the New Zealand and Australian governments that helped us during this time and plus all others that I have not mentioned," he said.

It is far from over in Vanuatu.

As I [Koroi Hawkins] type this another aftershock rumbles through the city and the rain disaster authorities have been worried about falling on unstable ground has properly set in.

The official number of deaths in the latest situation report is 14 and more than 2000 people remain displaced.

The disaster management office said the focus of the emergency response has shifted to clearing landslide debris on the main road to Lapetasi Wharf.

It reported 99 percent of roads have been restored, 77 percent of the water supply and 71 percent of the power is back on.

A state of emergency declared at the time of the quake was due to expire on Tuesday but could be extended.