Haiti’s earthquake Magnitude 7.2
Haiti was rocked by a massive magnitude 7.2 earthquake on Saturday morning. At least 300 people were confirmed dead and more than 1,800 others injured.
The earthquake occurred as Tropical Storm Grace sailed towards the island, potentially complicating rescue efforts. According to the National Hurricane Center, the storm will arrive late Monday night or early Tuesday.
According to Jerry Chandler (Haiti’s director for civil protection), the death toll was 304. . Chandler stated to the Associated Press that teams will be sent out to the area for rescue and search missions.
Authorities said that a powerful earthquake hit Haiti Saturday morning. It killed at least 304 people and left hundreds more injured. The earthquake of 7.2 magnitudes was strong enough that it could be felt in neighboring nations.
Officials in Haiti stated that more than 1,800 people were hurt in the disaster. Some of these victims were being treated at hospitals in the three worst-affected areas.
The U.S. Geological Survey stated that Saturday’s earthquake caused high casualties and was likely to spread. “Past alert events have required a national and international response.
Saturday’s epicenter was located approximately 100 miles from Port-au-Prince (Haiti’s capital).
The earthquake occurred as Tropical Storm Grace sailed towards the island, potentially complicating rescue efforts. According to the National Hurricane Center, the storm will arrive late Monday night or early Tuesday.
According to Jerry Chandler (Haiti’s director for civil protection), the death toll was 304. . Chandler stated to the Associated Press that teams will be sent out to the area for rescue and search missions.
Makinson Pierre (32) found one body near the rubble in Jeremie’s main street. Jeremie is a coastal town in southwest Haiti and is approximately 80 miles away from Saint-Louis du Sud. It is close to the epicenter.
He was in his late 20s. Pierre stated, “He was too young.”
Pierre described an “overwhelmed and understaffed” hospital, which had set up a tent outside to increase its capacity. He also gave out gloves to anyone who would help. He estimated that he saw 15 people treated outside for injuries.
This earthquake has been compared to the Haitian earthquake of 2010 that claimed 300,000 lives.
The U.S. Geological Survey stated that Saturday’s earthquake caused high casualties and was likely to spread. “Past alert events have required a national and international response.”
Saturday’s epicenter was located approximately 100 miles from Port-au-Prince (Haiti’s capital).
Lucy Jones, a seismologist, tweeted that “the damage should not be as severe as 2010 b/c the quake gave intensity VII shaking to Port au Prince.” She warned that the earthquake’s latest shaking caused severe damage to approximately 130,000 people, so losses could be substantial.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the quake’s epicenter occurred 7.5 miles northeast Saint-Louis du Sud. This is approximately 78 miles west of the capital, Port-au-Prince.
The USGS stated that “high casualties are likely, and the disaster will likely be widespread.” “Past alert events have required an international or national response.” The tsunami warning was immediately issued after the earthquake, but it was later removed.
Ariel Henry, Haiti’s new Prime minister, stated on Twitter that he would mobilize all government resources after the “violent earthquake” that caused widespread destruction and loss of life in different parts of the country.
The U.S. Geological Survey has already released preliminary reports that estimate the damage of hundreds of millions of U.S. dollars. The USGS stated that many structures in the region are “vulnerable to earthquake shaking.”
Henry declared a 1-month emergency for the country. He said that some towns had been almost entirely destroyed during a news conference.
He said that the government had sent people to Les Cayes (a coastal town with overcrowded hospitals with injured people) to coordinate a response. Haiti’s already overburdened hospitals are already feeling the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Henry stated that the International Red Cross also helps injured people.
He stated, “The most important thing in this situation is to save as many survivors from the rubble as possible.”
He said, “The need is immense.” “We have to take care of the injured and fractured as well as provide food, shelter, and psychological support.”
According to the White House, President Joe Biden ordered an immediate response following briefings he and Vice President Kamala Harris received about Saturday’s earthquake.
“In a time of great difficulty for Haitians, I was saddened by this morning’s devastating earthquake in Saint-Louis du Sud.
“We send our deepest condolences for all who have lost a loved one or had their homes and businesses destroyed,” Biden stated in a statement Saturday afternoon.
He said that the United States is a friend and close to Haitian people and will continue to be there for them in the wake of the tragedy.
Pierre, a Port-au-Prince resident, visited his hometown Friday afternoon.
USA TODAY’s Pierre said that he was in the bathroom when he felt the shakes. He thought the shower was faulty at first, but then he felt the shaking and ran to get away with his friend and the young daughter of his friend.
Social media users shared photos of the ruins and concrete buildings. AFP reported a church where a ceremony was taking place in Les Anglais, a southwestern French town. A portion of Les Cayes’ Sacred Heart church and the home of its bishop also fell.
He said that many others fled the area to avoid a tsunami.
Pierre stayed on the streets for thirty minutes after a minor earthquake shook the city. Although the phone lines were down for a while, Pierre finally called his wife and children from the Dominican Republic. They told him that they felt only minor shaking. Pierre’s brother from Port-au-Prince said that he felt significant vibration, but no one had been hurt.
Pierre stated, “Thank God they’re all fine.” “Trying to ensure that everyone was safe was difficult because one has to be prepared for the worst.
Pierre claimed that there was no damage to his home and one neighbor suffered a minor crack at the side of their house. The destruction near the main street was much more severe. Many buildings, including a Church, were destroyed or damaged, he said.
Port-au-Prince was the capital of the country. Many fled to their homes in fear after feeling the tremor.
Naomi Verneus (34-year-old Port-au-Prince resident) said she was awakened by an earthquake, shaking her bed.
“I woke up without time to put on my shoes. The 2010 earthquake was a reality for us. I couldn’t help but run. Later, I remembered that my mother and two children were still in their homes. They were told to go outside by my neighbor. Venus stated that we ran to the street.
Many were forced to recall the horrors of the magnitude 7 earthquake in 2010, which devastated the country. In 2018, more than 12 people were killed by a magnitude 5.9 earthquake.
Pierre stated that he was prepared for anything, recalling the devastation caused by the earthquake of 2010, which claimed his niece’s life.
He said, “It was 10 years ago, but it is one of the scars that will never go away.” It is something that I will never forget.”
Silvera Guillaume (civil protection coordinator in Les Cayes) told the Washington Post that the city had deployed first responders to rescue people from the rubble. Still, it badly needs more resources for rescue and search efforts.
Amethyste Acelius, the administrator of Immaculate Conception Hospital, Les Cayes, stated to the newspaper that the hospital is “desperate” for emergency drugs and medical professionals because “the hospital has flooded with victims.”
According to the Associated Press, Port-au-Prince residents fled the streets in fear following the quake.
Naomi Verneus, the 34-year-old Port-au-Prince resident, said that she was awakened when her bed began shaking.
She said, “I woke up and didn’t have the time to put on my shoes,” “We lived through the 2010 earthquake, and all I could do to run was run.
This earthquake occurs just one month after President Jovenel Moise was assassinated, leaving the country in political chaos.
Jean-Wickens Merone spoke on behalf of World Vision Haiti.