Haiti Earthquake Death Toll Reaches 1,297 Lives And 5,700 Injured

Residents see buildings destroyed by an earthquake in Les Cayes, Haiti. (Antara/Reuters)

JAKARTA - The death toll from a devastating earthquake in Haiti rose to 1,297 as of Sunday, as victims were found buried under debris before a tropical storm hit.

Saturday's 7.2-magnitude quake destroyed thousands of homes and buildings in the Caribbean nation, which is still struggling to build after a massive earthquake 11 years ago, as well as the cacophony of President Jovenel Moise's assassination last July.

Southwestern Haiti was the hardest hit, particularly in the area in and around the city of Les Cayes. Haiti's Civil Protection Agency said the number of victims of the natural disaster had risen to 1,297. Meanwhile, the still functioning hospital is struggling to treat the roughly 5,700 injured people registered so far.

The challenges facing Haiti have been exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic, a severe economic downturn exacerbated by fierce gang violence, and the political crisis that has plagued the troubled nation following the assassination of President Jovenel Moise on July 7.

Churches, hotels, hospitals and schools were badly damaged or destroyed, while prison walls were torn apart by the violent shaking that rocked Haiti.

In Les Cayes, a seaside town of about 90,000 people, rescue teams continued to work to retrieve bodies from the rubble of scattered buildings, while mechanical excavators and other equipment were used to help move the debris.

"We must work together to provide a swift and effective response to this very serious situation," said Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who flew to Les Cayes.

Nearby countries, including the Dominican Republic and Mexico, rushed to send much-needed food and medicine by air and across Haiti's land border.

The United States is sending vital supplies and deploying a 65-person urban search and rescue team with specialized equipment, said Samantha Power, administrator for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

From the Vatican, Pope Francis urged the international community to show immediate support. "May the solidarity of all people lighten the consequences of the tragedy," he told pilgrims and tourists at Sunday's blessing in St. Peter's Square.

However, the Haitian Government has appealed to aid organizations not to set up makeshift camps and urged them to work through the planning ministry, an apparent attempt to avoid mistakes made after the devastating 2010 earthquake that killed tens of thousands of people.

Many Haitians spent Saturday night sleeping out in the open, traumatized by memories of the 7-11-year-old earthquake that struck much closer to the sprawling capital, Port-au-Prince.

At Port-au-Prince airport, international aid workers, doctors and rescue workers, waiting to board flights to Les Cayes. US Coast Guard helicopters transport the injured.

Rescue and relief efforts will be complicated by Tropical Storm Grace, which is expected to hit Haiti with heavy rains on Monday. Parts of Haiti are also at risk of flash flooding, the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.

"We are preparing for Tropical Storm Grace," Chandler of the Civil Protection Agency told Reuters.

"Thousands of people sleeping on the streets will be exposed to heavy rains amid the increased risk of water-borne diseases."

Chandler added that boats and helicopters were used to carry aid, with the government working to establish safe access by road. The first aid convoy made it overland to the Les Cayes area where, he said, several hospitals were badly damaged.

"The functional ones receive an abundance of patients, so the personnel are really overwhelmed," he said.