A massive earthquake struck the Caribbean nation Haiti, causing devastating damage. The death toll is rising fast. A 7.2-magnitude earthquake has struck the Caribbean country Haiti, destroying buildings and killing at least 227 people. That death toll is expected to keep growing. The quake occurred on Saturday morning, about 125 kilometers west of the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince. The epicenter was only 12 kilometers from the smaller town of Saint-Louis du Sud.
It was followed by several aftershocks, which will continue in the coming days. “High casualties are probably, and the disaster is likely widespread,” the US Geological Survey said. Prime Minister Ariel Henry has declared a state of emergency. In a statement on social media addressing the disaster, he said it had caused “enormous damage”. “We will make the necessary arrangements to help people affected by the earthquake in the Southern Peninsula,” Dr. Henry said.
“I’m mobilizing all the resources of my administration. “I extend my sympathies to the parents of the victims.” Haiti is still recovering from the devastating 7.0-magnitude earthquake in 2010, which affected millions and killed more than 200,000. That one happened further east, much closer to Port-au-Prince. “Many homes are destroyed, people are dead, and some are at the hospital,” 21-year-old Christella Saint Hilaire told AFP, who lives near the epicenter. “Everyone is in the street now, and the shocks keep coming.” The earthquake was felt across much of the Caribbean. Photos online showed several damaged buildings in Haiti, including homes and schools.
Residents also shared images of frantic efforts to pull people from the ruins of caved-in buildings while bystanders sought safety in the streets outside their homes. “Houses and their surrounding walls have collapsed. Thecathedral’s roof has fallen,” said Job Joseph from the hard-hit city of Jeremie. The damage in Les Cayes was also significant and included the collapse of a multistorey hotel. Jerry Chandler heads Haiti’s civil protection agency and told reporters that search efforts were ongoing. The most recent death toll from the agency is 227.
US President Joe Biden has approved “immediate” efforts to aid Haiti, overseen by Samantha Power, head of America’s Agency for International Development. The 2010 earthquake reduced much of Port-au-Prince and nearby cities to dusty ruins. Over 1.5 million Haitians were homeless, leaving the nation’s government and the international humanitarian community with a colossal task.
Today’s earthquake comes just over a month after President Jovenel Moise was assassinated in his home by a team of gunmen, shaking a nation already battling poverty, spiraling gang violence, and the COVID-19 pandemic. It destroyed hundreds of thousands of homes, administrative buildings, and schools, not to mention 60 percent of Haiti’s healthcare system. The rebuilding of the country’s main hospital remains incomplete, and nongovernmental organizations have struggled to make up for the state’s deficiencies.
Police say they have arrested 44 people in connection with the killing, including 12 police officers, 18 Colombians who were allegedly part of the commando team, and two Americans of Haitian descent. The head of Mr. Moise’s security detail is detained in connection with the plot, allegedly organized by a group of Haitians with foreign ties. Jean-Wickens Merone, a spokesman for the aid group World Vision Haiti, told CNN he was worried about the earthquake’s toll on top of Haiti’s other crises.
“We’re concerned that this earthquake is just one more crisis on top of what the country is already facing, including the worsening political stalemate after the president’s assassination, Covid, and food insecurity,” he said. Tropical Storm Grace is expected to impact the country next week with strong winds and heavy rain, which could cause flash flooding. – with AFP originally published earthquake: Death toll rising after the 7. after the—moreMore related stories.
