Toll from 7.2-magnitude Haiti earthquake reaches 1,297 and 5,700 injured; PM Ariel Henry says face 'sad reality with courage'

Toll from 7.2-magnitude Haiti earthquake reaches 1,297 and 5,700 injured; PM Ariel Henry says face 'sad reality with courage'

A breakdown of the fatalities in terms of departments shows that 1,054 people were killed in Sud, 122 in Nippes, 119 in Grand'Anse, and two in Nord-Ouest

FPJ Web DeskUpdated: Monday, August 16, 2021, 09:47 AM IST
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Various teams are on the ground to 'provide help and assistance to victims', said the prime minister | Twitter/@@DrArielHenry

Port-au-Prince: The toll from the 7.2-magnitude earthquake that struck Haiti on the weekend has increased to 1,297, the country's civil protection agency announced.

A breakdown of the fatalities in terms of departments shows that 1,054 people were killed in Sud, 122 in Nippes, 119 in Grand'Anse, and two in Nord-Ouest, the Haitian Civil Protection Service said in a tweet on Sunday.

Prime Minister Ariel Henry said on Sunday that it was necessary to "work together" in the face of the "extremely serious situation" following the earthquake, which has also left some 5,700 injured, reports Xinhua news agency.

"As soon as I landed, I met victims of the earthquake. Doctors, rescuers, and paramedics are arriving to provide assistance from the Cayes airport.

"A harsh and sad reality that we must face with courage," the Prime Minister said on Twitter.

He noted that various teams are on the ground to "provide help and assistance to victims" and called for a speedy action to respond to the crisis.

A powerful magnitude 7.2 earthquake added to the misery in Haiti, killing at least 304 people, injuring a minimum of 1,800 others and destroying hundreds of homes. People in the Caribbean island nation rushed into the streets to seek safety and to help help rescue those trapped in the rubble of collapsed homes, hotels and other structures.

Saturday's earthquake struck the southwestern part of the hemisphere's poorest nation, almost razing some towns and triggering landslides that hampered rescue efforts in two of the hardest-hit communities.

A new 5.8 magnitude earthquake has hit Haiti, a day after a more powerful deadly tremor, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Center (EMSC) said on Sunday.

The earthquake was registered at 03:20 GMT, with the epicentre located 41 kilometres (25 miles) northwestern of the southern city of Les Cayes at a depth of 30 kilometres.

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