An earthquake of magnitude 7.2 was registered this Saturday morning off the coast of Haiti, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS, for its acronym in English).
Jerry Chandler, Haiti's director of civil protection, said the earthquake killed 29 people and assured that teams will be sent to the area for search and rescue missions.
Henry said on Twitter that the "violent earthquake" had caused loss of life and damage in various parts of the country, and also appealed to Haitians to unite as they "deal with this dramatic situation we are experiencing."
The epicenter of the quake was located 7.5 miles (about 12 kilometers)
northwest of Saint-Louis du Sud
, and had a depth of 10 kilometers, according to the service.
The USGS considered this Saturday that it is "probable" that the earthquake of magnitude 7.2 registered in the south of Haiti will leave
"a high number of victims", in addition to "significant" material damage
.
"In the past, other events with this level of alert have required a response at the national or international level," the agency says on its website.
[Arrested in connection with the assassination of the president of Haiti, claim they were hired by a Miami company]
In addition, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which monitors the emergence of possible tsunamis around the world, warned of the possible "threat" of gigantic waves, almost an hour after the record was recorded. strong earthquake.
However, shortly after, NOAA raised the alert in a report where it specified that "according to all available data, the tsunami threat from this earthquake has passed."
In a message on Twitter, the prime minister of the Caribbean country, Ariel Henry, called for "the spirit of solidarity and commitment of all Haitians" to face "this dramatic situation that we are currently experiencing."
The political leader declared a state of emergency for the entire country for a period of one month.
At a press conference, he said he would not ask for international help until the extent of the damage is known.
According to local media reports,
several people were injured as a result of the earthquake that also caused damage to infrastructure
in several locations.
Haitian Civil Protection tweeted that initial reports indicate that some houses collapsed during the earthquake and there may be fatalities.
"We will continue to report," the tweet read.
[Arrested in connection with the assassination of the president of Haiti, claim they were hired by a Miami company]
The media report significant damage in the towns of Saint-Louis du Sud, Les Cayes and Jérémie, in the south.
The Les Cayes hospital has received a large number of injuries
, according to the most recent information.
The inhabitants of Port-au-Prince, the capital, felt the tremor and many took to the streets terrified.
According to unofficial sources,
some deaths
have been reported
in Les Cayes and Jeremie
, but the Haitian authorities have not yet confirmed the number of victims or the material damage.
“I woke up and didn't have time to put my shoes on.
We lived through the 2010 earthquake and the only thing I could do was run, ”said Naomi Verneus, a 34-year-old woman living in Port-au-Prince.
“Later I remembered that my two children and my mother were still inside.
My neighbor came in and told them to get out.
And we ran into the street, ”Verneus said.
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In January 2010, a 7-magnitude earthquake in Haiti left
300,000 dead, the same number of injuries and 1.5 million people affected.
Regarding the possible economic impact of this new earthquake, the USGS issued an orange alert, which implies that "significant damage is likely", and that the estimated economic losses are
"between 0 and 3% of Haiti's GDP. ".
The agency recalled that the majority of the population in the area affected by the earthquake
"resides in structures that are vulnerable to earthquake tremors," such
as those built with mud or adobe.
The earthquake was felt with "very strong" intensity in Saint-Louis du Sud, Aquin and other towns in the south-west of the country, while it was felt "moderately" in Port-au-Prince, "lightly" in Kingston, Jamaica, and "weak. "in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, according to the USGS.
The National Center for Seismological Research of Cuba (Cenais) reported that the effects of the earthquake were felt in the east of the country.
Additionally, the National Hurricane Center has predicted that Tropical Storm Grace will hit Haiti on Monday night or early Tuesday morning.
The earthquake occurred more than a month after the death of President Jovenel Moïse, causing political chaos in the country, and humanitarian aid groups said the earthquake will exacerbate difficulties.
"We are concerned that this earthquake is one more crisis that adds to what the country is already facing as the worsening political stalemate after the
assassination of the president, COVID-19 and food insecurity
," said Jean-Wickens Merone, spokesman from World Vision Haiti.
Catholic priest Fredy Elie, who began working with the Congregation of the Mission in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake, stated that access to the affected areas is hampered by criminal gangs.
"It is time to open the way for those who want to help ... They need the help of all of us," Elie said.
With information from EFE, AP, NOAA and USGS