Latest Haiti earthquake: At least 724 killed, more than 2,800 injured

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With the death toll now at 724 and more than 2,800 injured after a devastating 7.2-magnitude earthquake shook Haiti on Saturday morning, the embattled nation faces the threat of Tropical Storm Grace approaching that will likely put an already vulnerable population to a double impact in a matter of days.

Haiti’s Civil Protection Agency confirmed the number of dead and wounded and said these numbers were expected to rise and hundreds of people were missing. Initial reports indicate that more than 700 buildings have collapsed, including hospitals and schools, and at least 3,778 homes have been destroyed and significant damage to infrastructure and roads.

Grace is expected to make landfall in Haiti between August 16-17.

“The people of Haiti will not only have to deal with this earthquake and its aftershocks, but also with this impending tropical storm,” said William Barnhart, a geophysicist with the USGS, of the Earthquake Hazards Program. “It’s honestly just a terrible situation.” Barnhart said there could be thousands of dead from the disaster.

“The death toll doesn’t always come out,” he told ABC News. “There is a lot of time that we have to devote to getting people back from buildings and getting into areas and towns.”

The earthquake, according to the USGS, struck about 5 miles north of Petit Trou de Nippes, Haiti, just over 90 miles from the capital, Port-au-Prince.

There are also concerns that the earthquake could exacerbate the rate of COVID-19 infection on the island if the displaced are forced to live in closer confines.

The Associated Press reported that Jerry Chandler, the director of civil protection for Haiti, said teams would be sent to the area for search and rescue missions.

Puckett Edmond, the country’s ambassador to the United States, said in a statement Saturday afternoon that the Haitian government “believes that significant casualties are likely given the magnitude of the earthquake.”

“The emergency response is underway, and the damage is being assessed,” Edmund added, saying the destruction was “widespread.”

The Embassy helps coordinate response efforts between the US and Haiti governments.

The earthquake was roughly the same size and shallow depth as the 2010 earthquake, and along the exact same fault line – Enriquío Plantin Park – but farther west and in a less densely populated area.

Prime Minister Ariel Henry has mobilized government resources to help victims in affected areas and has declared a month-long state of emergency for the entire country. He told a news conference that he would not seek international assistance until officials assessed the extent of the damage.

“It’s going to be very bad, but probably not as bad as it was in 2010 just because Port-au-Prince is so far away from this, so it’s less shaken this time around,” said seismologist Dr. Lucy Jones.

She said about 650,000 people experienced Level 7 vibration, which the USGS defines as “very strong” and strong enough to bring down poorly built structures.

But Jones added that many buildings that were potentially at risk from this earthquake were destroyed by the earthquake 11 years ago or by Hurricane Matthew in 2016, meaning the few reports of serious damage now aren’t entirely surprising.

Groups like Community Organized Relief Efforts are trying to help vaccinate local residents to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The US Agency for International Development said that the organization’s disaster experts already on the ground in Haiti are assessing the damage and humanitarian needs.

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were briefed by National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken about the earthquake on Saturday morning. The president allowed an immediate US response, and appointed USAID Administrator Samantha Power as a senior US official to coordinate the effort.

“In a truly difficult time for the people of Haiti, I am saddened by the devastating earthquake that occurred in Saint-Louis-de-Sud, Haiti this morning,” Biden said in a statement. “We send our deepest condolences to everyone who has lost loved ones or seen their homes and businesses destroyed.”

“Through USAID, we are supporting efforts to assess damage and assist efforts to recover the wounded and those who now have to rebuild,” he continued. The United States remains a close and lasting friend of the people of Haiti, and we will be there in the wake of this tragedy.”

Power spoke to Henry, who is also the acting president of Haiti in the wake of Jovenel Moise’s assassination, Saturday night about how USAID can help the country. The agency said earlier that a disaster relief response team had been sent to the island.

The United States Agency for International Development tweeted Sunday morning that “at the request of the Government of Haiti” it has “deployed an urban search and rescue team to join the #Haiti earthquake disaster response team. This 65-person deployment brings 52,000 pounds of specialized medical tools and equipment. Supplies to assist operations search “.

The earthquake could not have come at the worst of times for Haiti, which is still reeling from the July 7 assassination of Moss and an escalation of gang violence that has internally displaced thousands of people in the country, according to a June report from UNICEF, The Associated Press. I reported – significantly exacerbated the already precarious humanitarian situation.

While the recent surge in COVID-19 cases has waned, the potential displacement of thousands of people has created ripe conditions for a spike in COVID-19 cases, which could overwhelm an already weak and overburdened health system that will also have to provide assistance to those injured by the earthquake. .

Meanwhile, some celebrities and companies are providing assistance to Haiti.

Tennis star Naomi Osaka posted on Twitter that she plans to donate her award to relief efforts in Haiti. “It really hurts to see all the destruction that’s going on,” she wrote on Twitter.

Apple CEO Tim Cook said Cupertino will donate to “help relief and recovery efforts in affected communities,” in a tweet Sunday morning.

Celebrity chef Jose Andres tweeted on Sunday that he and his organization, World Central Kitchen, have been on the ground in Haiti since yesterday catering,

ABC News’s Ahmed Hemingway, Ashley Riggle, Justin Dome, Justin Gomez, Kristin Theodoro and Conor Finnegan contributed to this report.

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