A powerful 7.2-magnitude earthquake rocked the western part of Haiti on Saturday, August 14, leaving nearly 230 people dead, hundreds more injured or missing, and causing enormous damage.
The earthquake which struck the country’s southwest at 8.29am local time, was felt across the Caribbean and rekindled painful memories of the devastating 2010 quake that killed more than 200,000 people. The prime minister, Ariel Henry, has declared a month-long state of emergency.
The death toll jumped from 29 to 227, according to Haiti’s Office of Civil Protection. Jerry Chandler, the agency’s director, said teams will be sent to the area for search and rescue missions.
“The most important thing is to recover as many survivors as possible under the rubble,” said Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who declared a one-month state of emergency for the country.
“We have learned that the local hospitals, in particular that of Les Cayes, are overwhelmed with wounded, fractured people.” he…
Source: Linda Ikeji
