The death toll from the devastating Haiti earthquake was increased to 1,941 on Tuesday, according to statements from the country’s authorities. The news comes as search and rescue missions in the country had to be temporarily halted due to Tropical Storm Grace.
Areas in southwestern parts of the Caribbean nation were hit by the storm as authorities issued warnings about heavy rains that could go as high as 15 inches in some regions.
Also Read: Haiti earthquake has impacted over 1.2 million people: UNICEF
The delay in search and rescue efforts, induced by the unwelcoming weather, in Haiti fed into the growing anger and frustration among thousands who were left homeless, according to US media reports.
While the number of people killed due to the earthquake, which was recorded at a magnitude of 7.2, was bumped up beyond 1,900, the tally of the people left injured after the calamity was going up to 9,900, according to announcements made by Haiti’s Civil Protection Agency on Tuesday.
The head of Haiti’s office of civil protection, Jerry Chandler, acknowledged the situation. Earthquake assessments had to be paused because of the heavy rain, “and people are getting aggressive,” Chandler said Tuesday.
Some children were orphaned in the quake and some youngsters were starting to go hungry, said Carl-Henry Petit-Frère, a field manager for Save the Children, which said in a statement that it was distributing what it could to people living on the streets without protection from the wind and rain, according to reports from news agency Associated Press.
United States National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan that the emergency response to the situation in Haiti is being amplified looking at the “human tragedy and catastrophe”, according to reports from news agency Associated Press.
Officials said the magnitude 7.2 earthquake destroyed more than 7,000 homes and damaged nearly 5,000, leaving about 30,000 families homeless. Hospitals, schools, offices and churches also were demolished or badly damaged.