Disasters Australia

Rescuers crawled through the rubble of a workers' club today seeking victims of Australia's first fatal earthquake, which killed nine people, injured 107 and devastated sections of the nation's sixth largest city. State police headquarters in Sydney, 75 miles south of Newcastle, revised the death toll in Thursday's quake from 11 to nine, but said more people may be trapped in the wreckage of the Newcastle Workers' Club. A preliminary estimate put overall damage from the quake at $1 billion.

A powerful earthquake and a tsunami struck the South Pacific nation of Vanuatu early today, killing up to 12 people and destroying buildings, officials said. The full extent of the damage was not likely to be known until later, they said. The Vanuatu Disaster Management Office said six people were killed when the 7.1-magnitude earthquake caused a church to collapse on Pentecost Island.

A powerful earthquake and a tsunami struck the South Pacific nation of Vanuatu early today, killing up to 12 people and destroying buildings, officials said. The full extent of the damage was not likely to be known until later, they said. The Vanuatu Disaster Management Office said six people were killed when the 7.1-magnitude earthquake caused a church to collapse on Pentecost Island.

One of the most massive sea rescue operations in Australian history continued today in the aftermath of an ocean yacht-racing disaster that officially claimed five lives and may take dozens more. Tales of trauma, terror and death reached the mainland in southeastern Australia as hundreds of bruised and battered survivors of a devastating South Pacific storm that started Sunday night came ashore.

One of the most massive sea rescue operations in Australian history continued today in the aftermath of an ocean yacht-racing disaster that officially claimed five lives and may take dozens more. Tales of trauma, terror and death reached the mainland in southeastern Australia as hundreds of bruised and battered survivors of a devastating South Pacific storm that started Sunday night came ashore.

Rescuers crawled through the rubble of a workers' club today seeking victims of Australia's first fatal earthquake, which killed nine people, injured 107 and devastated sections of the nation's sixth largest city. State police headquarters in Sydney, 75 miles south of Newcastle, revised the death toll in Thursday's quake from 11 to nine, but said more people may be trapped in the wreckage of the Newcastle Workers' Club. A preliminary estimate put overall damage from the quake at $1 billion.