WEL— Amid the havoc wrought by a violent earthquake two days earlier, Ivan Oswald and his staff prepared for lunchtime service Thursday at Nambawan Cafe, on an idyllic stretch of Vanuatu’s waterfront.

The menu for the usual lunchtime rush was replaced with defrosted sausages for emergency workers sifting through rubble in search of those trapped alive or killed in flattened buildings when the massive, 7.3 jolt hit Port Vila, Vanuatu’s capital 48 hours earlier. Search crews were joined Thursday by specialists arriving in waves from Australia, New Zealand and France.

Earthquakes are normal for the South Pacific nation made up of 80 islands and home to 330,000 people, but Tuesday’s terrifying shake was like nothing residents had felt before. Centered 19 miles offshore, at a depth of 35 miles, the quake was followed by hundreds of rattling aftershocks.

Death toll uncertain

The death toll was still unclear and official information remained scarce.

The government initially confirmed 14 deaths. Early on Friday, it said 10 had been verified by the hospital — but officials expected the number would rise. More than 200 injured people were treated, officials said, but that figure has not been updated since around early Wednesday.

Nearly 1,000 people have been displaced, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said, with that number too likely to grow. On Thursday, telecommunications --- though piecemeal and patchy --- were more widely restored after a near total blackout following the quake.

It offered residents of Vanuatu answers about the scale of the damage and about how many people were missing.

As word got around that Nambawan had power and an independent internet source, rescuers, tourists and locals visited to charge devices and attempt to locate their relatives.

“We’ve had a few tears,” said Oswald, the cafe’s owner. “I can’t help with the rescue, but I can help with this.”

The extent of the damage became clearer on Thursday. The worst-hit area was Port Vila’s downtown, busy with lunchtime shoppers on Tuesday. Some outlying islands and villages near the quake’s epicenter have experienced landslides.

Infrastructure damage was extensive, including to hospitals, roads, buildings, two major water reservoirs and gas pipes.

A massive landslide has blocked the sea port, limiting the transport of essential supplies and personnel, the UN humanitarian agency said. The airport was open only for aid flights on Thursday, but the runway has been deemed operational and the resumption of commercial services will be considered today.