Death toll from Haiti earthquake climbs over 1,200: Reports

After a strong 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti on Saturday, the country’s authorities have confirmed on Sunday that at least 1.297 people were killed, according to US media reports. Additionally, more than 2,800 people have been injured in the Caribbean island nation, informed Jerry Chandler, head of Haiti’s civil protection agency, CNN reported.  

The majority of deaths occurred in the south of the country, where 500 people have reportedly died. Meanwhile, the quake has also destroyed 2,868 homes and damaged another 5,410, according to CNN reports.

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.

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“When it comes to medical needs, this is our biggest urgency. We have started to send medications and medical personnel to the facilities that are affected,” Prime Minister Ariel Henry said. “For the people who need urgent special care, we have evacuated a certain number of them, and we will evacuate some more today and tomorrow.”

Furthermore, Henry declared a one-month state of emergency for the whole country and said he would not ask for international help until the extent of the damages was known. The state of emergency is in effect for the Western Department, Southern Department, Nippes and Grand’Anse.

He said some towns were almost completely razed and the government had people in the coastal town of Les Cayes to help plan and coordinate the response.

The epicentre of the quake was approximately 12 km North-East of Saint-Louis du Sud and 100 km west of the capital Port-au-Prince. Tremors were also felt in neighbouring countries including the Bahamas, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Turks and Caicos Island.

The location was about 60 miles west of the disastrous 7.0-magnitude earthquake in 2010 that claimed an estimated 220,000 to 300,000 lives.

Although a United Nations reconnaissance mission to the affected areas found “less significant damages than initially expected,” the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said Sunday, CNN reported. Further adding that Saturday’s quake was far less damaging than the one in 2010.