The death toll of Haiti’s earthquake was bumped up to 1,419 on Monday while at least 6,000 people were left injured after the tremors last week, which were recorded at a magnitude of 7.2, shook the Caribbean country.
According to the statements released by Haiti’s Civil Protection Agency on Monday, a large number of injured individuals had to wait under the burning heat while trying to seek medical treatment, according to reports from the Associated Press.
Director of Les Cayes General Hospital Gede Peterson said in a statement, “We had planned to put up tents (in hospital patios), but we were told that could not be safe”, news agency Associated Press reported.
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Adding to the list of problems faced by Haiti, which included political uncertainty after the country’s President was assassinated, economic struggles, the COVID-19 pandemic and the recent earthquake, the threat of Tropical Depression Grace also looms over the country.
The storm is predicted to reach Haiti on Monday night with strong winds, heavy rain, mudslides and flash flooding. Rainfall could reach 15 inches (38 centimeters) in some areas, the agency said.
Meanwhile, rescuers and scrap metal scavengers dug into the floors of a collapsed hotel Monday in this coastal town, where 15 bodies had already been extracted, according to reports from news agency Associated Press.
The 7.2 magnitude earthquake also caused significant damage to the country’s infrastructure. Nearly 5,000 homes int the country were damaged and more than 7,000 were completely destroyed. The quake left more than 30,000 families with a roof over their heads.
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The massive earthquake struck Haiti at 8:30 am local time on Saturday at a depth of 10 kilometers. Its epicenter was about 12 kilometers northeast of Saint Louis-du-Sud in southwestern Haiti.
In a statement given last week, Prime Minister Ariel Henry said he was rushing aid to areas where towns were destroyed and hospitals overwhelmed with incoming patients, according to Associated Press reports.
(With inputs from Associated Press)