Desk Report
Publish: 15 Aug 2021, 10:00 pm
There are reports of hospitals being overwhelmed in the city of Les Cayes. (Photo: Reuters)
Officials in Haiti have
confirmed at least 724 people are dead after a powerful 7.2-magnitude
earthquake hit the Caribbean nation on Saturday, reports BBC.
Rescuers are picking
through rubble in a desperate search for any survivors.
Homes, churches and schools
were among buildings flattened in the quake. Some hospitals were left
overwhelmed and in need of supplies.
An unknown number of people
are missing and at least 2,800 people have been injured, officials say.
The disaster compounds
problems facing the impoverished nation, which is already reeling from a
political crisis following the assassination of its president last month.
The south-west of Haiti
appears to have bore the brunt of the damage, especially around the city of Les
Cayes.
Footage on social media
showed residents desperately trying to pull victims from the ruins of
buildings.
"The streets are
filled with screaming," Archdeacon Abiade Lozama, head of an Anglican
church in Les Cayes, told the New York Times. "People are searching, for
loved ones or resources, medical help, water."
The epicentre of Saturday's
quake was about 12km (7.5 miles) from the town of Saint-Louis du Sud, the US
Geological Survey (USGS) said.
But the tremor could be
felt in the densely-populated capital of Port-au-Prince, some 125km away, and
in neighbouring countries.
Prime Minister Ariel Henry
declared a month-long state of emergency and urged the population to "show
solidarity".
"The most important
thing is to recover as many survivors as possible under the rubble," he
said on Saturday. "We have learned that the local hospitals, in particular
that of Les Cayes, are overwhelmed with wounded, fractured people."
The international community
has promised to help.
US President Joe Biden said
he had authorised an "immediate US response" through USAID. The UN
also said it was supporting the rescue effort.
The neighbouring Dominican
Republic has offered to send food and medical equipment, with Cuba also
reportedly deploying more than 250 doctors.
Jerry Chandler, the head of
the Haiti's civil protection agency, said on Saturday that at least 860 homes
were known to have been destroyed, with hundreds more damaged.
He warned that Tropical Storm
Grace, which is approaching the country, is "likely to make matters
worse" in the coming days.
The Pope offered prayers
for the victims during a Sunday address and expressed hope that aid would
arrive soon.
Aftershocks were felt after
the initial tremor, with the USGS initially warning the earthquake could result
in thousands of fatalities and injuries.
A 2010 earthquake in Haiti killed more than 200,000 people and caused extensive damage to the country's infrastructure and economy.
Subscribe Shampratik Deshkal Youtube Channel
Topic : Haiti The Caribbean nation
© 2024 Shampratik Deshkal All Rights Reserved. Design & Developed By Root Soft Bangladesh