At least 227 killed after 7.2-magnitude earthquake hits Haiti

Updated Aug 14, 2021 at 4:05 PM ET

A massive 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck Haiti on Saturday morning, the US Geological Survey said, raising fears of devastation similar to the devastating 2010 earthquake that tore through the country.

At least 227 deaths have been reported, according to Haiti’s Civil Protection Service. The US Geological Survey predicts that the death toll could reach the thousands.

USGS geophysicist Paul Caruso told NPR that Saturday’s earthquake is on par with the 2010 earthquake, because of its similar magnitude, and that it occurred along the same fault line – the Enriquillo fault zone – Plantin Garden.

“It looks really bad,” said Caruso. “There could be a lot of casualties.”

How does the last earthquake compare to 2010

But the mechanism of the recent earthquake is different. This missile had a thrust mechanism, Caruso said, while the 2010 earthquake had a glide-type mechanism.

“When you’re on different sides of a fault, you feel an earthquake differently,” Caruso said. “So there are a lot of variables about how people feel about earthquakes.” “Fault-causing earthquakes can be very devastating. But, of course, strike-slip earthquakes can also be devastating. So at this point, we don’t really know. We are waiting to see what all the damage assessments are.”

Ariel Henry, the new Prime Minister of Haiti, expressed in a translated tweet his sympathy with “the families of the victims of this violent earthquake, which caused many human and material losses in several geographical areas of the country,”

Henry said he would declare a one-month state of emergency as the state assesses the damage from the disaster and sends teams to the area for search and rescue missions.

“We will make the necessary arrangements to assist those affected by the earthquake in the southern peninsula,” he said in a statement. “We must show a lot of solidarity regarding the state of emergency. The government will declare a state of emergency. We will act quickly.” Tweet translated later.

A White House official said President Biden had authorized the United States to respond immediately and had appointed Samantha Power, the director of US aid, to coordinate efforts.

The epicenter was 12 kilometers, or 7.5 miles, northeast of Saint-Louis-de-Sud and 10 kilometers deep, according to the US Geological Survey. The study said the missile struck five miles from the town of Petite-Trou de Nieps in the western part of the country.

The US Geological Survey placed the earthquake in a “red alert” category.

“Significant casualties and damage are likely and the disaster is likely to be widespread,” the USGS said. “Previous red alerts have required a national or international response.”

Two major cities, Lee Kay and Jeremy, have been hit hard, journalist Harold Isaac told NPR reporter Scott Simon’s Weekend Edition on Saturday.

The earthquake is the latest crisis for Haiti

The earthquake comes amid turmoil in the country following the assassination of President Jovenel Moss last month.

“The crisis that Haiti has been through, especially in the past few months, the death of the president through assassination, the country was not really prepared for another earthquake of this magnitude and such damage,” says Isaac.

“It’s already another crisis, a big crisis for the new government, and it’s also very sick as it is,” Isaac said.

Even worse, the area is doubly threatened by another natural disaster – Tropical Storm Grace may hit early next week as Haitians still suffer from the earthquake. Winds of 45 miles per hour and 3-6 inches of rain are expected, according to the National Hurricane Center. Tropical Depression Unique, which was classified as a tropical storm earlier, may also regain strength as late as Saturday or Sunday, according to the National Hurricane Center.

People in the capital, Port-au-Prince, about 80 miles east of the epicenter, felt the quake and many rushed into the streets in fear.

Some fear the shock recovery of the 2010 earthquake. A 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck Haiti on January 12, 2010, killing an estimated 220,000 people, leaving about 1.5 million homeless and injuring another 300,000.

Caruso of the US Geological Survey said he was expecting an earthquake of this magnitude because the area is an active fault zone with a history of large earthquakes.

Port-au-Prince resident Naomi Vernus, 34, said she woke up from Saturday’s earthquake and that her bed was shaking, the Associated Press reported.

“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. I later remembered that my baby and my mom were still inside. My neighbor came in and told them to do it. Get out,” Vernius said.

In another translated tweet, Henri, the prime minister, appealed to “the spirit of solidarity and commitment of all Haitians, for unity to face this tragic situation we are currently living in. Unity is strength.”

This is a breaking news story. It will turn out later that some of the things the media have reported are wrong. We will focus on reports from officials and other authorities, trusted news outlets and correspondents on the site. We will update as the situation evolves.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To learn more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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