7.2 Magnitude Earthquake Shakes Haiti, 304 People Killed

JAKARTA - At least 304 people were reported dead and hundreds injured or missing after a major earthquake hit southwest Haiti on Saturday, August 14, authorities said. The quake left churches, hotels, and homes to rubble in the latest tragedy to hit the impoverished Caribbean nation.

The magnitude 7.2 quake, which was followed by a series of aftershocks, struck 8 km from the town of Petit Trou de Nippes, about 150 km west of the capital Port-au-Prince, at a depth of 10 km, the United States Geological Survey said.

That makes the quake felt as far away as Cuba and Jamaica potentially larger and shallower than the magnitude 7 quake 11 years ago that killed tens of thousands of people on the island.

This one - which happened at around 8:30 am local time - hit farther from the capital. In Port-au-Prince, it was very pronounced but did not appear to have caused any major damage, according to Reuters witnesses.

However, Haiti's Civil Protection service said the initial death toll stood at 304, with at least 1,800 injured and Prime Minister Ariel Henry declaring a month-long state of emergency.

The nearest major city is Les Cayes, where many buildings collapsed or suffered major damage, according to authorities, who said they were searching for survivors.

"I saw bodies being pulled out of the rubble, people injured and possibly dead", said Les Cayes resident Jean Marie Simon, 38, who was at the market when the quake hit and ran home to make sure her family was safe. "I heard cries of pain everywhere I passed".

His wife and 2-year-old son had showered and rushed out into the street, naked, just before the front of the house collapsed. Simon gave his wife his clothes and they took shelter in the churchyard with the other locals. Her mother's house also collapsed. "There were a lot of aftershocks and every time, people were running and screaming", he said as reported by Antara. "My legs are still shaking", he continued.

In Les Cayes, locals said the water briefly flooded the coastal town of 126,000 people, causing panic amid fears of a tsunami, but then seemed to recede. Haitian media channels reported several people along the coast had fled into the mountains.

The US Tsunami Warning System issues a tsunami warning after the earthquake, lifting it shortly thereafter.

US President Joe Biden authorized an immediate US response to the earthquake and appointed Samantha Power, administrator of the US Agency for International Development, coordinator of the effort.

Never Rest

The earthquake came more than a month after the assassination of President Jovenel Moise, which has deepened the country's political turmoil.

Meanwhile, large parts of Haiti are facing increasing hunger and health services being overwhelmed by COVID-19. Access by road to the south, where the earthquake occurred, has been limited by gang control in key areas, raising questions about how aid will be delivered.

The region is just recovering from Hurricane Matthew, which hit in 2016, killing hundreds and causing widespread devastation. Haiti is now on course for a possible Tropical Storm Grace which could bring heavy rains early next week.

"This country never takes a break! Every year it's mismanaged and okay, but the cumulative effect leaves us vulnerable to everything", Haitian entrepreneur, Marc Alain Boucicault, said on Twitter.

"This will take years to fix and we haven't even started yet!"

In Port-au-Prince, residents traumatized by the 2010 earthquake ran, screaming, into the streets and remained there as aftershocks rumbled.

"In my neighborhood, I heard people screaming. They ran out", said Sephora resident Pierre Louis. "At least they knew to go out. In 2010, they didn't know what to do. People were still out on the street".

The quake sent shockwaves as far as Cuba and Jamaica although there were no reports of material damage, deaths, or injuries there.

"Everyone was really scared. It's been years since such a big earthquake", said Daniel Ross, a resident in the eastern Cuban city of Guantanamo.

He says his house is standing strong but the furniture is shaking.

"I felt it. The quake woke me up. My roof was a bit noisy", said Danny Bailey, 49, in Kingston.

The European-Mediterranean Seismological Center (EMSC) also reported an earthquake in the region, saying it had a magnitude of 7.6, while the Cuban seismological center said it had a magnitude of 7.4.