PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti, CMC – Thousands of people are feared dead after the largest earthquake to hit the Caribbean in the last 200 years rocked Haiti on Tuesday, toppling buildings and burying residents under rubble.
Many people gathered in public squares, singing hymns and weeping, with many seriously injured people sitting in the streets pleading for doctors.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake had a preliminary magnitude of 7.3 and was centered about 14 miles west of the capital, Port-au-Prince. It was quickly followed by two nearby, strong aftershocks of initial magnitude of 5.9 and 5.5 and residents said that the aftershocks were continuing at eight to 10 minute intervals.
The headquarters of the UN Haiti peacekeeping mission and other UN installations were seriously damaged and there were reports of people screaming for help from a wrecked hospital in the Petionville district of Port-au-Prince.
Aid workers said they had seen dead bodies in the streets.
Karel Zelenka, a Catholic Relief Services representative in the capital of Port-au-Prince, told US colleagues that “there must be thousands of people dead”, while journalist Joseph Guyler Delva, said he had seen dozens of casualties.
“I saw people under the rubble, and people killed,” he reported.
U.N. peacekeepers, most of whom are from Brazil, looked for survivors in the ruins of what had been their five-story headquarters.
U.N. peacekeeping chief Alain Le Roy said many U.N. personnel were missing, including mission chief Hedi Annabi, who was in the building when the quake struck. Some 9,000 peacekeepers have been in Haiti since a 2004 rebellion ousted president. Jean Bertrand Aristide.
Much of the National Palace was destroyed, but Haitian officials said President Rene Preval and his wife survived the earthquake.
“This is actually the largest earthquake we have seen in the last 200 years in this region. There has not been an earthquake of magnitude 6 range since the 1970s,” said geophysicist Julie Dutton attached to the U.S. Geological Survey.
“It is a pretty significant earthquake,” she said, adding that “given the size and location, we are anticipating some significant damage from the region”.
The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) grouping, of which Haiti is a member, said in a brief statement that it “is distressed at the initial reports coming out of Haiti” and that it “will move quickly to mobilise its disaster emergency response systems in order to render assistance to Haiti”.
Bahamas Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham said his government was preparing to send emergency aid to Haiti.
“Our hearts go out to the people of Haiti at this time and I have alerted our emergency services to be prepared, along with similar agencies in our sister states in the Caribbean, to render whatever aid we can as soon as possible. We will continue to monitor the situation,” Ingraham said in a brief statement.
The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) said it “is deeply saddened by the tragic loss of life and the extensive damage caused by the earthquake” and offered “our sincerest condolences to the families of all those who lost their lives and to those who are grieving their loss.
“It is evident that in the aftermath of this terrible disaster the challenge is to alleviate the suffering. We at the CTO and throughout our member countries in the Caribbean will be doing whatever is necessary to offer financial and other assistance and to coordinate relief efforts in the days and weeks ahead. We know that with the support of friends around the world, the strength and resolve of the Haitians themselves will prevail, “CTO Chairman John Maginley said in a statement.
U.S. President Barack Obama said that his “thoughts and prayers” were with the people of Haiti and pledged to come to their aid if needed.
“We are closely monitoring the situation and we stand ready to assist the people of Haiti,” Obama said in a statement.
The United Kingdom government said it was “deeply concerned” about the reported scale of the earthquake and was sending a team from the Department for International Development (DFID) to assess the humanitarian needs.
“We are deeply concerned at the reported scale of the earthquake which has struck Haiti. It appears to have been severe, causing considerable damage and harm. “We do not yet have a clear picture of needs from the Haitian authorities or from humanitarian agencies. We are monitoring the situation closely,” a DFID spokesman said:.
“Overnight we have mobilised a DFID humanitarian assessment team to fly to Haiti today (Wednesday).
“We stand ready to provide whatever humanitarian assistance may be required,” he added.
The Mayor of New York, Michael R. Bloomberg said a fund had been established to help the people of Haiti and that the City “stands ready to do all we can to help Haiti as we have in the past”.
“We also share concerns for neighboring Caribbean nations that may be affected by this earthquake including the Dominican Republic, the Bahamas and Cuba.”
A dozen major earthquakes of magnitude 7.0 or greater have occurred in the Caribbean near Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the island of Hispaniola, shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic, in the past 500 years, and several have generated tsunamis. In 1946, an earthquake with a magnitude 8.1 resulted in a tsunami that killed 1,600 people.
On Tuesday, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre issued a tsunami warning for parts of the Caribbean, including the Bahamas, Cuba, the Dominican Republic,
“A destructive widespread tsunami threat does not exist based on historical earthquake and tsunami data,” the Centre said, adding “there is the possibility of a local tsunami that could affect coasts located usually no more than a 100 km (60 miles) from the earthquake epicentre.”
CMC/10
may the people in haiti have faith in god. r.i.p to does who died
Haisienn, Chenbe’ Fou, Nous evec Zore!
i will like to extend condonancies to the family in haiti who lost there lost ones. i am truely sorry for wat wen down.
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keep strong n have faith in God,,, that things will get better,,,, u know wat baffles me is dat over the years this nation of haiti has gone through so much but yet u don’t hear hatians crying down their country,,,, something that we dominicans r so quick to do,,,,,, i wonder if is a social sickness we have in d.a
Prays goes out to Sister Haiti. Perfect example of Bad management and manipulations by the imperialist powers.
Brothers we need to unite as black people and take control of ours. We cannot sit back and wait on hand outs. We need to fix Africa as a mother Land, make it our USAFrica. So that we can run to it for aid and financial support when needed. We have all we need in Africa and more(not needed) including the dictators, pupets and imperialist influences.
I see black men wanting to blow himself up for Allah, for muslim cause. Black men what is your problem? I do not see you fighting for your black brothers but you commiting suicide for a white racist group of people? The Arabs were the first to enslave black people. They were the merchants who sold us to the white man. The white man did not know anything about us.
They were living in Europe in caves while we built sky scrappers(pyramids) and traded with the chinese, arabs and native indians of north, south and central America.
My prayers are with Haiti and its people .
Fall on your knees and prayer , God listens . Its never to late .
I’m really sadden by this … Will continue to pray for you all .
Hang in there .
I feel and pray for the ppl of Haiti. We are one caribbean lets do less talking and more action to join forces with the US and move quickly in saving the lives of the ppl who are still under the rumbles. To every Haitian in Haiti and abroad my prayers and sincere heartfelt condolences are with you. I pray for God’s guidance, protection and mercy especially over the children who have lost thier parents and are alone.
THAT IS SO SAD EH..WAT ABOUT THE DOMINICANS THAT IS UP THERE. WE ALL KNOW IT HAS DOMINICANS ALL OVER THE WORLD. I HOPE YOU ALL SAFE. MR.ALBERT I NOW KNOW THAT U ARE SAFE WHICH IS GOOD BUT TO ALL THE OTHER HAITIANS THAT LIVE IN DOMINICA MY HEART GOES OUT TO U AND YOUR FAMILY.GOD ALONE THAT KNOW WHY HE MAKES THINGS LIKE THAT HAPPEN.
My heart goes out to the Hatian people and my Hatian friends. You have gone through so much thru the decades yet your spirit is strong.
One more lesson for us to learn in the caribbean. We are on one of the most dangerous earthquake zones in the world an we never know when these things are gonna happen.
In dominica we have been getting warnings but earthquakes are extremely difficult to predict and preparedness has to be long term unlike hurricanes. With the regular tremores in recent years it seems like the plates in the caribbean region are becoming increasingly active.
I would suggest the disaster preparedness commity and the ministry responsible for housing and infrastructure to pay close attention to areas like our schools especially those that have more than one floor, making sure they are in good condition and able to withstand a huge quake. One reason is that they are areas where large number of people gather at one time and as we see they are also the ones that are always badly affected with large loss of life.
Other important areas are the hospitals, and administrative buildings. Make sure there are evasive plans for the people who occupy these structures in case there is an earthquake.
If it means building steel structure in these buildings that occupants can seek cover or rebuilding new schools in areas where the structures are not up to date then do it.
The problem is earthquake will remain virtually unpredictable for a long time so we just have to be prepared. Its better to be safe than sorry.
Alas, keep calling out to GOD, keeping sending up your prayers and praise my bros/sis – HIS ears are opened, HIS hands are not shortened – HE will save you – He is able to do exceedingly, abundantly over all you can ask for or think.
Hear their cries LORD. Let your favor rest upon them, my GOD –
Take heart, be courageous and look unto JESUS –