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).
The civil protection authorities confirmed that so far
the earthquake has caused the death of at least 304 people, in addition to some 1,800 injured
.
Jerry Chandler, director of that agency, said teams will be sent to the affected areas 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 state of national emergency for a month.
"We have received reports that local health centers, particularly the Les Cayes hospital, are overwhelmed by injured and fractured people."
In a message on Twitter, Henry called on "the spirit of solidarity and commitment of all Haitians" to face "this dramatic situation we are currently experiencing."
The Sacred Heart Church was badly affected by the earthquake in Les Cayes, Haiti, on August 14, 2021.
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.
A group of people looked at the rubble of the residence of a Catholic bishop that was affected by the Les Cayes earthquake, Haiti, on August 14, 2021. AP
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Claude Prepetit, director general of the Office of Mines and Energy (BME), said that
the most affected departments are the south and Grand'Anse
, which suffered severe damage in 2016 from the passage of Hurricane Matthew.
The official asked people not to return to their homes until they have an evaluation from the authorities.
For his part, US President Joe Biden authorized an "immediate response" by the United States to the earthquake in Haiti.
Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris held a video conference on Afghanistan with their national security team, in which they also received information about the earthquake in Haiti, the White House explained in a statement.
"
The president authorized an immediate response from the United States
[to the earthquake in Haiti], and appointed the administrator of USAID (the US agency for development), Samantha Power, as the senior US official in charge of coordinating this effort," says the short note.
The governments of Spain, Peru and Chile also expressed their solidarity with the Haitian people, in addition to offering logistical support and humanitarian aid.
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.
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"I didn't have time to put my shoes on"
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.
Rescue work continues in Haiti, after the earthquake of August 14, 2021.EFE
“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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A country in crisis
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.
Residents evacuate an area of Jeremie, Haiti, and pass destroyed buildings.
Hundreds have died Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
The National Center for Seismological Research of Cuba (Cenais) reported that the effects of the earthquake were felt in the eastern part of the country.
Additionally, the National Hurricane Center has forecast 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.
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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