Haiti was hit by a 7.2-magnitude earthquake, at least 227 killed – National

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At least 227 people were killed, hundreds injured and missing after a 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck Haiti on Saturday, and Prime Minister Ariel Henry said he is rushing aid to areas where towns have been devastated and hospitals overwhelmed with incoming patients.

The US Geological Survey said the quake’s epicenter was 125 kilometers (78 miles) west of the capital, Port-au-Prince, and widespread damage was reported.

Jerry Chandler, Haiti’s director of civil protection, told the Associated Press that the death toll had reached 29 and that teams would be sent to the area for search and rescue missions.

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Henry said on Twitter that the “violent earthquake” caused loss of life and damage in various parts of the country, and also appealed to Haitians to unite as they face this tragic situation we are in now.

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He declared a month-long state of emergency for the entire country. He said in a press conference that he will not seek international assistance until the extent of the damage is known.

Videos posted on social media showed collapsed buildings near the epicenter and people fled into the streets.

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The earthquake was felt in Port-au-Prince and many rushed into the streets in fear, although there seemed to be no damage there.

Naomi Vernus, 34, a resident of Port-au-Prince, said she woke up from the earthquake and her bed was shaking.

“I woke up and didn’t have time to put my shoes on. We lived through the 2010 earthquake and all I could do was run. Later I remembered my two children and my mother were still inside. My neighbor came in and asked them to get out. We ran into the street,” Vernius said.

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The poor country, where many live in fragile conditions, is prone to earthquakes and hurricanes. It was hit by a 5.9-magnitude earthquake in 2018 that killed more than a dozen people, and a larger 7.1-magnitude earthquake devastated most of the capital in 2010 and claimed an estimated 300,000 lives.

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The National Hurricane Center forecast Tropical Storm Grace to reach Haiti late Monday night or early Tuesday morning.

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The quake came more than a month after President Jovenel Moise was killed, sending the country into political chaos, and humanitarian aid organizations said the quake would add to the suffering.

“We are concerned that this earthquake is just another crisis on top of what the country is already facing – including the worsening political deadlock after the assassination of the president, the coronavirus and food insecurity,” said Jean Wickens Meron, a spokesperson for World Vision Haiti. .

Catholic priest Freddy Ely, who began working with the mission in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake, told The Associated Press that access to the area is being hampered by criminal gangs and has been asking for help.

“It is time to open the way for those who want to help… they need help from all of us,” Eli said.

© 2021 Canadian Press

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