Haiti was hit by an earthquake. The death toll rises to almost 1,400. A tropical storm now makes the situation worse.
Update from Tuesday, August 17, 2021, 4 p.m.: After the earthquake in Haiti, the death toll has risen to more than 1,400. This was announced by the local civil protection authority. In total, around 6,900 people were injured as a result of the earthquake, according to the authority.
The situation in Haiti is currently worsening. The tropical storm “Grace” recently brought heavy rain and floods. The city of Les Cayes, in southern Haiti, has so far been particularly affected. The earthquake alone has destroyed more than 80,000 houses. The heavy rains create even bigger problems. In many places, floods have caused further damage.
Update from Monday, August 16, 2021, 8:05 a.m.: The death toll rose to 1,297 in the severe earthquake in southern Haiti. The country’s civil defense announced this on Twitter on Sunday evening (local time). The head of civil defense, Jerry Chandler, had previously reported at least 724 deaths. In addition, 2,800 people were injured. The US agency USGS had considered a high number of victims to be possible and declared a red alert.
The quake, the strength of which USGS stated as 7.2, occurred on Saturday morning around twelve kilometers from the municipality of Saint-Louis-du-Sud at a depth of around ten kilometers. Many houses were destroyed or damaged. According to reports, people were buried under rubble and hospitals were overloaded. Rescue workers and civilians desperately searched for survivors. Roads were blocked after landslides.
The full extent of the destruction will probably only become apparent in the coming days. The next possible danger is already looming: the National Hurricane Center in Miami downgraded tropical storm “Grace”, which was already approaching Haiti, but nevertheless predicted heavy rain for the Dominican Republic and Haiti.
Haiti earthquake: death toll rises to over 700
+++ 5.25 p.m.: After the severe earthquake in Haiti, the death toll has risen to more than 700. So far, 724 bodies have been recovered, the disaster control authority announced on Sunday. Hundreds more people are still missing, and more than 2,800 people were injured in the 7.2 magnitude quake on Saturday.
The tremors caused severe damage. Countless buildings collapsed, including a multi-story hotel in the town of Les Cayes. Meanwhile, the tropical storm “Grace” is approaching the bitterly poor Caribbean country. It should hit land on Monday evening with heavy rain and should make the rescue and search work even more difficult.
Haiti: 304 people die in earthquakes – more than 1,800 are injured
Update from Sunday, August 15, 2021, 6:10 a.m.: After a severe earthquake in southern Haiti, the death toll has risen to at least 304. More than 1,800 people were injured, the country’s civil protection department reported on Twitter on Saturday evening (local time). Rescue workers and citizens rescued numerous people from the rubble.
The quake, the strength of which the US agency USGS stated as 7.2, occurred on Saturday morning around twelve kilometers from the municipality of Saint-Louis-du-Sud at a depth of around ten kilometers. The civil defense had previously reported 227 deaths.
The USGS considered a high number of victims to be possible and declared a red alert. Many buildings were destroyed, as can be seen on photos and videos on social networks. According to reports, people were buried under rubble and hospitals were overloaded.
Parts of the poor Caribbean state of Haiti had already been devastated by a severe earthquake in 2010. At the time, Haiti’s densely populated capital, Port-au-Prince, was at the center of the quake. 222,000 people died and more than 300,000 were injured. More than a million people lost their homes.
+++ 9:25 p.m.: In the severe earthquake in the south of the Caribbean state of Haiti with a magnitude of 7.2, the number of victims increased dramatically. At least 227 people were killed. Hundreds more are still missing or injured, said civil defense. Many houses and buildings were also destroyed. Interim Prime Minister Henry described the situation on Twitter as “dramatic” and announced that the government would declare a state of emergency. The US National Weather Service (NOAA) initially issued a tsunami warning after the quake – but canceled it a short time later. Now, however, further adversity threatens, because a tropical storm could hit the region.
As the US National Hurricane Center announced, tropical storm “Grace” could hit the region early next week. Fierce winds and heavy rain are expected in Haiti. So far, the authorities have warned of tropical storm conditions for the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, among others. The storm could worsen the situation in the earthquake-hit area. Damaged houses could finally collapse. In addition, such weather conditions would massively hinder the rescue measures.
The USA has promised the Caribbean state of Haiti quick aid after the quake. “Our experts are already on site to assess damage and needs,” wrote the head of the US agency for development cooperation and emergency aid USAID, Samantha Powers, on Twitter on Saturday. One now wants to react quickly. US President Joe Biden had been informed of the situation in Haiti and asked that USAID coordinate the US response.
Earthquake shakes Haiti: at least 29 dead
First report from Saturday, 08/14/2021, 3:45 p.m.: Port-au-Prince – An earthquake shook the south of the Caribbean state of Haiti. The US agency USGS gave the strength as 7.2. Haiti authorities issued a tsunami warning. According to official information, the quake occurred around 12 kilometers from the municipality of Saint-Louis-du-Sud at a depth of around ten kilometers.
In the Dominican Republic, with which Haiti shares the island of Hispaniola, the quake could also be felt and panic among the population, reports the Diario Libre newspaper. A resident of the eastern Cuban city of Guantanamo told Reuters: “Everyone is very scared. It’s been years since such a large earthquake occurred. ”In the capital of Haiti, Port-au-Prince, the population also noticed the severe earthquake, including on the island of Jamaica.
Earthquake hits Haiti: magnitude 7.2 measured
The earthquake occurred at 8.29 a.m. local time. The authorities warned of dangerous tsunami waves up to three meters high. Videos from the city of Jeremie, 125 kilometers west of Port-au-Prince show destroyed houses, schools, churches and vehicles. The town of Les Cayes is also badly affected. The aid organization Unicef speaks of “great damage”. Civil protection chief Jerry Chandler says there are at least 29 fatalities. The US agency USGS expects a higher number of victims and has declared a red alert. Rescue workers speak of a practically blocked communication with the affected areas.
A 7.0 magnitude earthquake in Haiti * in 2010 killed more than 200,000 people. About 300,000 people were injured and more than 1.5 million were left homeless. The damage from the quake was estimated at $ 8 billion. Reconstruction got off to a slow start, also due to the political instability.
The poorest country in the western hemisphere is currently in a deep crisis and is being shaken by unrest. Haiti’s President Jovenel Moïse was assassinated in July. He was ambushed and shot dead by a heavily armed commando at his residence. (lrg / tu with dpa / AFP) * fr.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA.
