HAITI EARTHQUAKE: AT LEAST 304 PEOPLE DEAD, MORE THAN 2000 INJURED

Sun 15 August 2021:

At least 304 people were killed and more than 2000 injured as a devastating 7.2-magnitude earthquake rocked Haiti Saturday morning, the country’s civil protection agency said.

The US Tsunami Warning System issued a tsunami alert in the region warning that waves could rise 3 meters (9.8 feet). The alert was later lifted.

The earthquake, according to the United States Geological Survey, struck about 5 miles north of Petit Trou de Nippes, Haiti, a little over 90 miles from the capital, Port-au-Prince.

A magnitude-5.2 aftershock was felt and more aftershocks are expected in coming days, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).

Officials said the USGS recorded nine aftershocks since the main earthquake.

Prime Minister Ariel Henry is mobilizing government resources to help victims in affected areas and declared a one-month state of emergency for the whole country. In a press conference, he said he wouldn’t ask for international help until officials assess the extent of the damages.

“We will make the necessary arrangements to assist people affected by the earthquake in the Southern Peninsula. We must show a lot of solidarity with regard to the emergency. The government will declare a state of emergency. We will act quickly,” said Prime Minister Ariel Henry.

Authorities said hundreds of injuries have been decimated from the ruins in search and rescue efforts, while the exact number of casualties is unknown.

The country, which has suffered huge devastation and tremors, has called for international help.

The earthquake was virtually the same size and at the same shallow depth as the 2010 quake, and along the exact same fault line — the Enriquillo Plantain Garden — but farther west and in a less-populated region.

According to official figures, 316,000 people died and 300,000 were injured in the magnitude-7.0 quake that occurred in the south of the country.

About 1.3 million people were left homeless in the aftermath.

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