Haitian hospitals ‘overwhelmed with wounded, fractured people’ as at least 300 killed in 7.2-magnitude earthquake
The epicentre of the quake was about 78 miles west of the capital of Port-au-Prince
Associated Press
August 15 2021
At least 300 people were killed and hundreds were injured and missing after a 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti on Saturday.
Prime minister Ariel Henry said he was sending aid to areas where towns were destroyed and hospitals overwhelmed with incoming patients.
The epicentre of the quake was about 78 miles west of the capital of Port-au-Prince, the US Geological Survey said, and widespread damage was reported.
Haiti’s civil protection agency said that the death toll stood at 304 and that search teams would be sent to the area.
At least 300 killed as 7.2-magnitude earthquake hits Haiti
Rescue workers and bystanders were able to pull many people to safety from the rubble, the agency said Saturday on Twitter. It said injured people were still being taken to hospitals.
Mr Henry declared a one-month state of emergency for the whole country and said he would not ask for international help until the extent of the damages was known.
He said some towns were almost completely razed and the government had people in the coastal town of Les Cayes to help plan and co-ordinate the response.
“The most important thing is to recover as many survivors as possible under the rubble,” said Mr Henry.
“We have learned that the local hospitals, in particular that of Les Cayes, are overwhelmed with wounded, fractured people.”
He said the International Red Cross and hospitals in unaffected areas were helping to care for the injured, and appealed to Haitians for unity.
“The needs are enormous. We must take care of the injured and fractured, but also provide food, aid, temporary shelter and psychological support,” he said.
The epicentre of the quake was about 78 miles west of the capital of Port-au-Prince
Associated Press
August 15 2021
At least 300 people were killed and hundreds were injured and missing after a 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti on Saturday.
Prime minister Ariel Henry said he was sending aid to areas where towns were destroyed and hospitals overwhelmed with incoming patients.
The epicentre of the quake was about 78 miles west of the capital of Port-au-Prince, the US Geological Survey said, and widespread damage was reported.
Haiti’s civil protection agency said that the death toll stood at 304 and that search teams would be sent to the area.
At least 300 killed as 7.2-magnitude earthquake hits Haiti
Rescue workers and bystanders were able to pull many people to safety from the rubble, the agency said Saturday on Twitter. It said injured people were still being taken to hospitals.
Mr Henry declared a one-month state of emergency for the whole country and said he would not ask for international help until the extent of the damages was known.
He said some towns were almost completely razed and the government had people in the coastal town of Les Cayes to help plan and co-ordinate the response.
“The most important thing is to recover as many survivors as possible under the rubble,” said Mr Henry.
“We have learned that the local hospitals, in particular that of Les Cayes, are overwhelmed with wounded, fractured people.”
He said the International Red Cross and hospitals in unaffected areas were helping to care for the injured, and appealed to Haitians for unity.
“The needs are enormous. We must take care of the injured and fractured, but also provide food, aid, temporary shelter and psychological support,” he said.
Red Cross paramedics carry a girl injured during a 7.2 magnitude earthquake in Les Cayes, Haiti (Photo: REUTERS/Ralph Tedy Erol)
Later, as he boarded a plane bound for Les Cayes, Mr Henry said he wanted “structured solidarity” to ensure the response was co-ordinated to avoid the confusion that followed the devastating 2010 earthquake, when aid was slow to reach residents after as many as 300,000 were killed.
Among those killed in the earthquake was Gabriel Fortune, a longtime lawmaker and former mayor of Les Cayes. He died along with several others when his hotel, Le Manguier, collapsed, the Haitian newspaper Le Nouvelliste reported.
Philippe Boutin, 37, who lives in Puerto Rico but visits his family annually in Les Cayes, said his mother was saying morning prayers when the shaking began, but was able to leave the house.
The earthquake, he said, coincided with the festivities to celebrate the town’s patron saint, adding that the hotel was probably full and the small town had more people than usual.
“We still don’t know how many people are under the rubble,” he said.
Humanitarian workers said information about deaths and damage was slow coming to Port-au-Prince because of intermittent internet.
Later, as he boarded a plane bound for Les Cayes, Mr Henry said he wanted “structured solidarity” to ensure the response was co-ordinated to avoid the confusion that followed the devastating 2010 earthquake, when aid was slow to reach residents after as many as 300,000 were killed.
Among those killed in the earthquake was Gabriel Fortune, a longtime lawmaker and former mayor of Les Cayes. He died along with several others when his hotel, Le Manguier, collapsed, the Haitian newspaper Le Nouvelliste reported.
Philippe Boutin, 37, who lives in Puerto Rico but visits his family annually in Les Cayes, said his mother was saying morning prayers when the shaking began, but was able to leave the house.
The earthquake, he said, coincided with the festivities to celebrate the town’s patron saint, adding that the hotel was probably full and the small town had more people than usual.
“We still don’t know how many people are under the rubble,” he said.
Humanitarian workers said information about deaths and damage was slow coming to Port-au-Prince because of intermittent internet.
People look for survivors at a house destroyed following a 7.2 magnitude earthquake in Les Cayes, Haiti (Photo: REUTERS/Ralph Tedy Erol)
Also complicating relief efforts was gang activity in the seaside district of Martissant, just west of the Haitian capital.
“Nobody can travel through the area,” Ndiaga Seck, a Unicef spokesman in Port-au-Prince, said by phone. “We can only fly over or take another route.”
The reports of overwhelmed hospitals come as Haiti struggles with the pandemic and a lack of resources to deal with it.
Just last month, the country of 11 million people received its first batch of US-donated coronavirus vaccines, via a United Nations programme for low-income countries.
Videos posted to social media showed collapsed buildings near the epicentre and people running into the streets.
People in Port-au-Prince felt the tremor and many rushed into the streets in fear, although there did not appear to be damage there.
Also complicating relief efforts was gang activity in the seaside district of Martissant, just west of the Haitian capital.
“Nobody can travel through the area,” Ndiaga Seck, a Unicef spokesman in Port-au-Prince, said by phone. “We can only fly over or take another route.”
The reports of overwhelmed hospitals come as Haiti struggles with the pandemic and a lack of resources to deal with it.
Just last month, the country of 11 million people received its first batch of US-donated coronavirus vaccines, via a United Nations programme for low-income countries.
Videos posted to social media showed collapsed buildings near the epicentre and people running into the streets.
People in Port-au-Prince felt the tremor and many rushed into the streets in fear, although there did not appear to be damage there.
A view shows houses destroyed following a 7.2 magnitude earthquake in Les Cayes, Haiti (Photo: REUTERS/Ralph Tedy Erol)
Naomi Verneus, a 34-year-old resident of Port-au-Prince, said she was jolted awake by the earthquake and that her bed was shaking.
“I woke up and didn’t have time to put my shoes on. We lived the 2010 earthquake and all I could do was run. I later remembered my two kids and my mother were still inside. My neighbour went in and told them to get out. We ran to the street,” Ms Verneus said.
Paul Caruso, a geophysicist with the USGS, said aftershocks are likely to continue for weeks or months, with the largest so far registering a magnitude 5.2.
The impoverished country, where many live in tenuous circumstances, is vulnerable to earthquakes and hurricanes.
It was struck by a magnitude 5.9 earthquake in 2018 that killed more than a dozen people, and a vastly larger magnitude 7.1 quake that damaged much of the capital in 2010 and killed an estimated 300,000 people.
The National Hurricane Centre has also forecast that Tropical Storm Grace will reach Haiti late Monday night or early Tuesday morning.
The earthquake struck more than a month after president Jovenel Moise was killed, sending the country into political chaos.
His widow, Martine Moise, posted a message on Twitter calling for unity among Haitians: “Let’s put our shoulders together to bring solidarity. It is this connection that makes us strong and resilient. Courage. I am always by your side.”
Humanitarian aid groups said the earthquake would only worsen the nation’s suffering.
“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,” said Jean-Wickens Merone, spokesman for World Vision Haiti.
Naomi Verneus, a 34-year-old resident of Port-au-Prince, said she was jolted awake by the earthquake and that her bed was shaking.
“I woke up and didn’t have time to put my shoes on. We lived the 2010 earthquake and all I could do was run. I later remembered my two kids and my mother were still inside. My neighbour went in and told them to get out. We ran to the street,” Ms Verneus said.
Paul Caruso, a geophysicist with the USGS, said aftershocks are likely to continue for weeks or months, with the largest so far registering a magnitude 5.2.
The impoverished country, where many live in tenuous circumstances, is vulnerable to earthquakes and hurricanes.
It was struck by a magnitude 5.9 earthquake in 2018 that killed more than a dozen people, and a vastly larger magnitude 7.1 quake that damaged much of the capital in 2010 and killed an estimated 300,000 people.
The National Hurricane Centre has also forecast that Tropical Storm Grace will reach Haiti late Monday night or early Tuesday morning.
The earthquake struck more than a month after president Jovenel Moise was killed, sending the country into political chaos.
His widow, Martine Moise, posted a message on Twitter calling for unity among Haitians: “Let’s put our shoulders together to bring solidarity. It is this connection that makes us strong and resilient. Courage. I am always by your side.”
Humanitarian aid groups said the earthquake would only worsen the nation’s suffering.
“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,” said Jean-Wickens Merone, spokesman for World Vision Haiti.
Issued on: 15/08/2021
People survey destroyed houses in the hard-hit city of Jeremie, Haiti on August 14, 2021 following a powerful 7.2-magnitude earthquake Tamas JEAN PIERRE AFP
Port-au-Prince (AFP)
Rescue workers scrambled to find survivors after a powerful 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck Haiti early Saturday, killing at least 304 and toppling buildings in the disaster-plagued Caribbean nation still recovering from a devastating 2010 quake.
The epicenter of the shaking, which rattled homes and sent terrified locals scrambling for safety, was about 100 miles (160 kilometers) by road west of the center of the densely populated capital Port-au-Prince.
"Lots of homes are destroyed, people are dead and some are at the hospital," 21-year-old Christella Saint Hilaire, who lives near the epicenter, told AFP.
"I was in my house when it started to shake, I was near a window and I saw everything falling," she said. "A piece of a wall hit my back but I am not too hurt."
The long, initial quake was felt in much of the Caribbean. It damaged schools as well as homes on Haiti's southwestern peninsula, according to images posted by witnesses.
The country's civil protection agency said hours after the quake that the death toll had jumped to 304, ticking upwards throughout the day from an initial report of 29 fatalities.
The agency said that hundreds were "wounded and missing" and specified that 160 were killed in the country's South department alone, in the area of the quake's epicenter.
Port-au-Prince (AFP)
Rescue workers scrambled to find survivors after a powerful 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck Haiti early Saturday, killing at least 304 and toppling buildings in the disaster-plagued Caribbean nation still recovering from a devastating 2010 quake.
The epicenter of the shaking, which rattled homes and sent terrified locals scrambling for safety, was about 100 miles (160 kilometers) by road west of the center of the densely populated capital Port-au-Prince.
"Lots of homes are destroyed, people are dead and some are at the hospital," 21-year-old Christella Saint Hilaire, who lives near the epicenter, told AFP.
"I was in my house when it started to shake, I was near a window and I saw everything falling," she said. "A piece of a wall hit my back but I am not too hurt."
The long, initial quake was felt in much of the Caribbean. It damaged schools as well as homes on Haiti's southwestern peninsula, according to images posted by witnesses.
The country's civil protection agency said hours after the quake that the death toll had jumped to 304, ticking upwards throughout the day from an initial report of 29 fatalities.
The agency said that hundreds were "wounded and missing" and specified that 160 were killed in the country's South department alone, in the area of the quake's epicenter.
This map marks the epicenter of the 7.2-magnitude earthquake that struck Haiti on August 14, 2021 AFP
"Initial responses, by both professional rescuers and members of the public have led to many people being pulled from the rubble. Hospitals continue to receive injured," it added.
With thousands injured, hospitals in the regions hardest hit by the quake were already struggling to provide emergency care and at least three in the municipalities of Pestel, Corailles and Roseaux were completely full, according to Jerry Chandler, head of the civil protection agency.
- State of emergency -
Haiti has declared a state of emergency in response to the disaster, and a White House official said US President Joe Biden has approved "immediate" aid efforts to begin.
"In what is already a challenging time for the people of Haiti, I am saddened by the devastating earthquake," Biden said, adding that his country was ready to "assess the damage and assist efforts to recover those who were injured and those who must now rebuild."
Residents shared images on social media of frantic efforts to pull people from the ruins of caved-in buildings, while screaming bystanders sought safety in the streets outside their homes.
"Houses and their surrounding walls have collapsed. The roof of the cathedral has fallen down," resident Job Joseph told AFP from the hard-hit city of Jeremie on Haiti's far western end.
Heavy damage was reported in the center of the city, which is composed primarily of single-story residences and buildings.
The damage in the city of Les Cayes appeared to be significant, including the collapse of a multi-story hotel.
"Initial responses, by both professional rescuers and members of the public have led to many people being pulled from the rubble. Hospitals continue to receive injured," it added.
With thousands injured, hospitals in the regions hardest hit by the quake were already struggling to provide emergency care and at least three in the municipalities of Pestel, Corailles and Roseaux were completely full, according to Jerry Chandler, head of the civil protection agency.
- State of emergency -
Haiti has declared a state of emergency in response to the disaster, and a White House official said US President Joe Biden has approved "immediate" aid efforts to begin.
"In what is already a challenging time for the people of Haiti, I am saddened by the devastating earthquake," Biden said, adding that his country was ready to "assess the damage and assist efforts to recover those who were injured and those who must now rebuild."
Residents shared images on social media of frantic efforts to pull people from the ruins of caved-in buildings, while screaming bystanders sought safety in the streets outside their homes.
"Houses and their surrounding walls have collapsed. The roof of the cathedral has fallen down," resident Job Joseph told AFP from the hard-hit city of Jeremie on Haiti's far western end.
Heavy damage was reported in the center of the city, which is composed primarily of single-story residences and buildings.
The damage in the city of Les Cayes appeared to be significant, including the collapse of a multi-story hotel.
The Director General of Haiti's Civil Protection Agency, Jerry Chandler, delivered a press conference on the powerful quake that shook the country on August 14, killing hundreds Reginald LOUISSAINT JR AFP
Haiti's Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who surveyed the damage via helicopter, declared a state of emergency for one month while calling on the nation to "show solidarity" and not panic.
Shortly after the quake, the US Geological Survey (USGS) issued a tsunami alert, saying waves of up to three meters (nearly 10 feet) were possible along the coastline of Haiti, but lifted the warning soon after.
- 'People are terrified' -
Jeremie resident Tamas Jean Pierre said the possibility of a tsunami nonetheless sent parents "fleeing the city with their children in arms."
"People are terrified," he said.
A 7.0-magnitude quake in January 2010 transformed much of Port-au-Prince and nearby cities into dusty ruins, killing more than 200,000 and injuring some 300,000 others.
More than a million and a half Haitians were made homeless, leaving island authorities and the international humanitarian community with a colossal challenge in a country lacking either a land registry or building codes.
Haiti's Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who surveyed the damage via helicopter, declared a state of emergency for one month while calling on the nation to "show solidarity" and not panic.
Shortly after the quake, the US Geological Survey (USGS) issued a tsunami alert, saying waves of up to three meters (nearly 10 feet) were possible along the coastline of Haiti, but lifted the warning soon after.
- 'People are terrified' -
Jeremie resident Tamas Jean Pierre said the possibility of a tsunami nonetheless sent parents "fleeing the city with their children in arms."
"People are terrified," he said.
A 7.0-magnitude quake in January 2010 transformed much of Port-au-Prince and nearby cities into dusty ruins, killing more than 200,000 and injuring some 300,000 others.
More than a million and a half Haitians were made homeless, leaving island authorities and the international humanitarian community with a colossal challenge in a country lacking either a land registry or building codes.
Heavy damage from a powerful earthquake was reported in the center of the city of Jeremie, seen here on August 14, 2021 Tamas JEAN PIERRE AFP
The quake destroyed hundreds of thousands of homes, as well as administrative buildings and schools, not to mention 60 percent of Haiti's health care system.
The rebuilding of the country's main hospital remains incomplete, and nongovernmental organizations have struggled to make up for the state's many deficiencies.
The latest quake comes just over a month after President Jovenel Moise was assassinated in his home by a team of gunmen, shaking a country already battling poverty, spiraling gang violence and Covid-19.
© 2021 AFP
The quake destroyed hundreds of thousands of homes, as well as administrative buildings and schools, not to mention 60 percent of Haiti's health care system.
The rebuilding of the country's main hospital remains incomplete, and nongovernmental organizations have struggled to make up for the state's many deficiencies.
The latest quake comes just over a month after President Jovenel Moise was assassinated in his home by a team of gunmen, shaking a country already battling poverty, spiraling gang violence and Covid-19.
© 2021 AFP
Haiti earthquake death toll surpasses 300
A magnitude 7.2 earthquake has struck Haiti, leaving hundreds dead and more than 1,800 injured. Rescue efforts are ongoing and caretaker Prime Minister Ariel Henry says the demand for aid will be "enormous."
What is the situation in Haiti? Anne-Rose Schön from Port-au-Prince
A 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti on Saturday, killing just over 300 people, according to the Haitian civil protection service.
At least 1,800 people have been reported injured as the powerful quake turned buildings into rubble.
Rescue teams and bystanders were able to pull many people from the debris.
However, the true scale of the devastation is still being assessed due to difficulties reaching affected areas.
What do we know about the earthquake?
The quake hit at 8:29 a.m. local time (1229 UTC) and was also felt in the Dominican Republic, which has a land border with Haiti on the island of Hispanola.
The epicenter of the quake was on Haiti's southwest peninsula about 125 kilometers (78 miles) west of the densely populated capital of Port-au-Prince, the US Geological Survey said.
Many residents of the capital rushed into the streets in fear, although witnesses told news agencies there did not appear to be much damage in the capital.
Churches and other buildings have been destroyed across southwestern Haiti
The shockwaves were felt throughout the country and material damage was recorded in the southwestern peninsula of the island, according to images from witnesses.
Tremors were also felt hundreds of kilometers away in Jamaica and Cuba.
The US Tsunami Warning System issued a tsunami warning after the quake but later said "there is no further threat."
EMSC, an independent earthquake monitoring agency, reported a magnitude 5.0 aftershock late Saturday night near the city of Les Cayes, where significant damage had been reported earlier. There have been no reports yet of additional damage caused by the aftershock.
Emergency declared
Prime Minister Ariel Henry declared a one-month state of emergency in response to the disaster.
"I present my sympathies to the parents of the victims of this violent earthquake, that has caused the loss of several lives and material damage in various provinces," Henry wrote on Twitter.
Henry, who has been in office for less than a month, said he had mobilized "all the resources of my administration to come to the aid of the victims."
"The most important thing is to recover as many survivors as possible under the rubble," Henry said. "We have learned that the local hospitals, in particular that of Les Cayes, are overwhelmed with wounded, fractured people."
US President Joe Biden authorized an immediate response to the Haitian earthquake and said he is "saddened" by the disaster.
He named Samantha Power as coordinator of the relief effort, a White House official said.
Hospitals overwhelmed
Haitian news outlet Le Nouvelliste reported that the Saint Antoine hospital in the southwestern town of Jeremie was overwhelmed with treating the injured.
It said the biggest hospital in the area had called in more doctors and health workers to help out.
La Nouvelliste added that a Ministry of Public Works team was now making its way through the "bleak" ruins of the 31,000-strong town to clear collapsed buildings and search for the dead and injured.
Prime Minister Henry said the International Red Cross and hospitals in unaffected areas were caring for the injured.
"The needs are enormous. We must take care of the injured and but also provide food, aid, temporary shelter and psychological support,'' he said.
Senator confirmed dead
Among the dead was Gabriel Fortune, a former senator and mayor of Les Cayes on the southern coast of Haiti, which unconfirmed reports suggest has taken significant damage.
"He was in a hotel, Le Manguier in Les Cayes, and the hotel crashed down. He is confirmed dead." Anne Rose Schoen, a Haitian journalist told DW.
Another journalist, Frantz Duval tweeted pictures of the destroyed Le Manguier hotel.
Southern Haiti hit hard
"It is a very difficult situation down in the south," Schoen said. "It is an earthquake that has affected many different towns in the south and many of these towns cannot be reached easily. It will be a logistical nightmare."
She said that this was because to get to the south it was necessary to drive through to a Port au Prince neighborhood called Carrefour in the southwestern area which is dominated by gang war.
"It will be very difficult to get the goods there for the people that are in need," said Schoen, who added that ships and helicopters might be required.
The president of the neighboring Dominican Republic, Luis Abinader tweeted his concern for Haiti and said his country would provide "whatever help is within our possibilities."
Tragedy strikes again
Haiti, considered the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, is still living with the impact of the catastrophic 2010 earthquake that left some 200,000 people dead.
Damage from the quake, which struck near the densely populated capital, was estimated at $8 billion (€6.78 billion).
More than 1,500,000 Haitians were made homeless and 60% of the country's healthcare system was destroyed.
The rebuilding of the country's main hospital remains incomplete, and nongovernmental organizations have struggled to make up for the state's many deficiencies.
Another deadly earthquake in 2018 with a magnitude of 5.9 also scarred Haiti and left more than a dozen dead.
Haiti has also been in a state of political turmoil since the assassination of Jovenel Moise in July.
He was shot dead in a middle-of-the-night attack at his residence by a heavily armed commando force.
Potentially adding to the impact of Saturday's quake, the US National Hurricane Center has forecast that Tropical Storm Grace could reach Haiti late Monday night or early Tuesday morning.
mm,jc,wd/wmr (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)
A magnitude 7.2 earthquake has struck Haiti, leaving hundreds dead and more than 1,800 injured. Rescue efforts are ongoing and caretaker Prime Minister Ariel Henry says the demand for aid will be "enormous."
What is the situation in Haiti? Anne-Rose Schön from Port-au-Prince
A 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti on Saturday, killing just over 300 people, according to the Haitian civil protection service.
At least 1,800 people have been reported injured as the powerful quake turned buildings into rubble.
Rescue teams and bystanders were able to pull many people from the debris.
However, the true scale of the devastation is still being assessed due to difficulties reaching affected areas.
What do we know about the earthquake?
The quake hit at 8:29 a.m. local time (1229 UTC) and was also felt in the Dominican Republic, which has a land border with Haiti on the island of Hispanola.
The epicenter of the quake was on Haiti's southwest peninsula about 125 kilometers (78 miles) west of the densely populated capital of Port-au-Prince, the US Geological Survey said.
Many residents of the capital rushed into the streets in fear, although witnesses told news agencies there did not appear to be much damage in the capital.
Churches and other buildings have been destroyed across southwestern Haiti
The shockwaves were felt throughout the country and material damage was recorded in the southwestern peninsula of the island, according to images from witnesses.
Tremors were also felt hundreds of kilometers away in Jamaica and Cuba.
The US Tsunami Warning System issued a tsunami warning after the quake but later said "there is no further threat."
EMSC, an independent earthquake monitoring agency, reported a magnitude 5.0 aftershock late Saturday night near the city of Les Cayes, where significant damage had been reported earlier. There have been no reports yet of additional damage caused by the aftershock.
Emergency declared
Prime Minister Ariel Henry declared a one-month state of emergency in response to the disaster.
"I present my sympathies to the parents of the victims of this violent earthquake, that has caused the loss of several lives and material damage in various provinces," Henry wrote on Twitter.
Henry, who has been in office for less than a month, said he had mobilized "all the resources of my administration to come to the aid of the victims."
"The most important thing is to recover as many survivors as possible under the rubble," Henry said. "We have learned that the local hospitals, in particular that of Les Cayes, are overwhelmed with wounded, fractured people."
US President Joe Biden authorized an immediate response to the Haitian earthquake and said he is "saddened" by the disaster.
He named Samantha Power as coordinator of the relief effort, a White House official said.
Hospitals overwhelmed
Haitian news outlet Le Nouvelliste reported that the Saint Antoine hospital in the southwestern town of Jeremie was overwhelmed with treating the injured.
It said the biggest hospital in the area had called in more doctors and health workers to help out.
La Nouvelliste added that a Ministry of Public Works team was now making its way through the "bleak" ruins of the 31,000-strong town to clear collapsed buildings and search for the dead and injured.
Prime Minister Henry said the International Red Cross and hospitals in unaffected areas were caring for the injured.
"The needs are enormous. We must take care of the injured and but also provide food, aid, temporary shelter and psychological support,'' he said.
Senator confirmed dead
Among the dead was Gabriel Fortune, a former senator and mayor of Les Cayes on the southern coast of Haiti, which unconfirmed reports suggest has taken significant damage.
"He was in a hotel, Le Manguier in Les Cayes, and the hotel crashed down. He is confirmed dead." Anne Rose Schoen, a Haitian journalist told DW.
Another journalist, Frantz Duval tweeted pictures of the destroyed Le Manguier hotel.
Southern Haiti hit hard
"It is a very difficult situation down in the south," Schoen said. "It is an earthquake that has affected many different towns in the south and many of these towns cannot be reached easily. It will be a logistical nightmare."
She said that this was because to get to the south it was necessary to drive through to a Port au Prince neighborhood called Carrefour in the southwestern area which is dominated by gang war.
"It will be very difficult to get the goods there for the people that are in need," said Schoen, who added that ships and helicopters might be required.
The president of the neighboring Dominican Republic, Luis Abinader tweeted his concern for Haiti and said his country would provide "whatever help is within our possibilities."
Tragedy strikes again
Haiti, considered the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, is still living with the impact of the catastrophic 2010 earthquake that left some 200,000 people dead.
Damage from the quake, which struck near the densely populated capital, was estimated at $8 billion (€6.78 billion).
More than 1,500,000 Haitians were made homeless and 60% of the country's healthcare system was destroyed.
The rebuilding of the country's main hospital remains incomplete, and nongovernmental organizations have struggled to make up for the state's many deficiencies.
Another deadly earthquake in 2018 with a magnitude of 5.9 also scarred Haiti and left more than a dozen dead.
Haiti has also been in a state of political turmoil since the assassination of Jovenel Moise in July.
He was shot dead in a middle-of-the-night attack at his residence by a heavily armed commando force.
Potentially adding to the impact of Saturday's quake, the US National Hurricane Center has forecast that Tropical Storm Grace could reach Haiti late Monday night or early Tuesday morning.
mm,jc,wd/wmr (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)
Powerful quake kills hundreds in Haiti
People in the Caribbean island nation rushed onto the streets for safety and to help rescue those trapped in the rubble.
People in the Caribbean island nation rushed onto the streets for safety and to help rescue those trapped in the rubble.
AL JAZEERA PHOTOS
A woman stands in front of a destroyed home in the aftermath of an earthquake in Les Cayes, Haiti. [Duples Plymouth/AP Photo]
15 Aug 2021
A powerful earthquake has added to Haiti’s woes – killing at least 304 people, injuring 1,800 others, and destroying hundreds of homes.
People rushed onto the streets to seek safety and help rescue those trapped in the rubble of collapsed homes, hotels and other structures.
Saturday’s magnitude 7.2 quake struck the southwest of the Caribbean island nation, razing towns and triggering landslides that hampered rescue efforts in two of the hardest-hit communities.
This latest disaster adds to the plight of Haitians, who were already grappling with the coronavirus pandemic, a presidential assassination, and deepening poverty.
The widespread damage could worsen this week with Tropical Storm Grace predicted to reach Haiti late Monday.
15 Aug 2021
A powerful earthquake has added to Haiti’s woes – killing at least 304 people, injuring 1,800 others, and destroying hundreds of homes.
People rushed onto the streets to seek safety and help rescue those trapped in the rubble of collapsed homes, hotels and other structures.
Saturday’s magnitude 7.2 quake struck the southwest of the Caribbean island nation, razing towns and triggering landslides that hampered rescue efforts in two of the hardest-hit communities.
This latest disaster adds to the plight of Haitians, who were already grappling with the coronavirus pandemic, a presidential assassination, and deepening poverty.
The widespread damage could worsen this week with Tropical Storm Grace predicted to reach Haiti late Monday.
A man uses a sledgehammer to break through the rubble of a home destroyed by the earthquake in Les Cayes. [Joseph Odelyn/AP Photo]
An aerial view of the Hotel Le Manguier, which was destroyed by the quake in Les Cayes. [Ralph Tedy Erol/AP Photo]
People search for survivors in a home destroyed by the major temblor. [Joseph Odelyn/AP Photo]
At least 860 homes were destroyed and more than 700 damaged. [Joseph Odelyn/AP Photo]
The Catholic bishop's residence lies in ruins after the earthquake in Les Cayes. [Joseph Odelyn/AP Photo]
Southwestern Haiti bore the brunt of the blow. [Joseph Odelyn/AP Photo]
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Access to the worst-hit areas was complicated by a deterioration in law and order that has left key access roads in parts of Haiti in the hands of gangs. [Joseph Odelyn/AP Photo]
People gather outside the Petit Pas Hotel, which was destroyed by the earthquake in Les Cayes. [Joseph Odelyn/AP Photo]
Oxiliene Morency cries out in grief after the body of her seven-year-old-daughter Esther Daniel was recovered from the rubble of their home. [Joseph Odelyn/AP Photo]
Osaka plans to help out Haiti earthquake relief efforts
Issued on: 15/08/2021 -
Issued on: 15/08/2021 -
Naomi Osaka says because of her strong family ties to Haiti she is planning to donate her latest prize money to the disaster-plagued Caribbean nation Tiziana FABI AFP/File
Los Angeles (AFP)
Naomi Osaka says she is going to give all her proceeds from the WTA Tour's upcoming Cincinnati event to the earthquake victims in Haiti which was rocked by a devastating 7.2-magnitude quake on Saturday.
The highest paid female tennis star has a personal connection to the disaster-plagued Caribbean country: Her father is from there.
"Really hurts to see all the devastation that's going on in Haiti, and I feel like we really can't catch a break," Osaka wrote on Twitter.
"I'm about to play a tournament this week and I'll give all the prize money to relief efforts for Haiti. I know our ancestors blood is strong we'll keep rising."
The massive quake struck Haiti's southwestern peninsula early Saturday, killing at least 304 people and leaving churches, business and schools crumbled.
The 23-year-old Osaka was born in Japan where her mother is from and has lived in the United States since age three.
On Saturday, American President Joe Biden approved immediate aid to Haiti and said the US would be assisting recovery and rebuilding efforts.
Osaka's father, Leonard Francois, is from the Jacmel region on the southwestern peninsula close to the epicentre of Saturday's quake. Osaka has said her upbringing included learning about both Japanese and Haitian culture.
Her Haitian grandparents didn't speak English so they only spoke Creole to her.
This week's Cincinnati tournament is just the second event for Osaka since she took a mental health break from the Tour.
In her last event at the Tokyo Olympics, Osaka was chosen to light the Olympic cauldron to mark the opening of the Summer Games.
Her bid for a medal fell short as she crashed out in the third round of the women's tennis tournament, losing in straight sets to silver medallist Marketa Vondrousova.
It remains to be seen whether the four-time Grand Slam champion Osaka touch on her earthquake relief efforts in Cincinnati.
She dropped out of the French Open in late May after organizers fined her for refusing to do mandatory post-match news conferences. She cited reporters' "disregard for athletes' mental health" in announcing her decision to stop doing interviews.
© 2021 AFP
Los Angeles (AFP)
Naomi Osaka says she is going to give all her proceeds from the WTA Tour's upcoming Cincinnati event to the earthquake victims in Haiti which was rocked by a devastating 7.2-magnitude quake on Saturday.
The highest paid female tennis star has a personal connection to the disaster-plagued Caribbean country: Her father is from there.
"Really hurts to see all the devastation that's going on in Haiti, and I feel like we really can't catch a break," Osaka wrote on Twitter.
"I'm about to play a tournament this week and I'll give all the prize money to relief efforts for Haiti. I know our ancestors blood is strong we'll keep rising."
The massive quake struck Haiti's southwestern peninsula early Saturday, killing at least 304 people and leaving churches, business and schools crumbled.
The 23-year-old Osaka was born in Japan where her mother is from and has lived in the United States since age three.
On Saturday, American President Joe Biden approved immediate aid to Haiti and said the US would be assisting recovery and rebuilding efforts.
Osaka's father, Leonard Francois, is from the Jacmel region on the southwestern peninsula close to the epicentre of Saturday's quake. Osaka has said her upbringing included learning about both Japanese and Haitian culture.
Her Haitian grandparents didn't speak English so they only spoke Creole to her.
This week's Cincinnati tournament is just the second event for Osaka since she took a mental health break from the Tour.
In her last event at the Tokyo Olympics, Osaka was chosen to light the Olympic cauldron to mark the opening of the Summer Games.
Her bid for a medal fell short as she crashed out in the third round of the women's tennis tournament, losing in straight sets to silver medallist Marketa Vondrousova.
It remains to be seen whether the four-time Grand Slam champion Osaka touch on her earthquake relief efforts in Cincinnati.
She dropped out of the French Open in late May after organizers fined her for refusing to do mandatory post-match news conferences. She cited reporters' "disregard for athletes' mental health" in announcing her decision to stop doing interviews.
© 2021 AFP
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