Haiti Hit by Powerful Earthquake, Presidential Palace Collapses
Hundreds or more are feared dead across Haiti after a powerful magnitude 7.0 earthquake hit just south of Port-au-Prince, its capital. In only a minute, the worst quake the country and Caribbean have ever experienced, caused the collapse of the nation’s presidential palace, the UN mission headquarters, as well as other buildings. Furthermore, many UN personnel have been reported missing.
Aside from the actual earthquake, Haiti was also hit with two aftershocks - one of 5.9 magnitude and another of 5.5. The phone lines failed soon after, and the country’s envoy to the US described the event as catastrophic, adding that the damage may cost billions.
Reporters and aid workers have estimated that hundreds (even thousands) may have been killed in the tragedy, with injured people being ferried to hospitals in vehicles hindered by rubble on the roads. Food for the Poor charity operations manager Rachmani Domersant said that the whole city was dark by nightfall, with thousands in the streets with no place to go and people screaming, running, and crying all around. He thinks hundreds of casualties is a very underestimated figure.
It’s very likely that Haiti will need international aid to deal with the impact of this earthquake, as it’s the western hemisphere’s poorest country. US President Barack Obama says that his prayers are with the people of Haiti and pledged to send aid if they need it. His administration also said that the US military, USAID and State Department are working to get an assessment of what’s happened and give possible assistance.
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