Civil Protection Agency says Haiti earthquake kills more than 200

Magnitude 7.2 earthquake strikes Haiti, at least 29 dead

At least 29 people were killed Saturday morning after a 7.2-magnitude earthquake hit Haiti. This comes just days before a tropical storm is expected to make landfall. Prime Minister Ariel Henry said he was mobilizing all available government resources to help victims in affected areas. (Credit: One Show Pam via Storyful)

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) – 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 was rushing aid to areas where towns had been devastated. Hospitals are overcrowded 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.

Haiti’s Civil Protection Agency said the death toll had reached 227 and that search teams would be sent to the area. On Saturday afternoon, the agency said on Twitter, that rescue workers and passersby were able to pull several people out of the rubble. She said the wounded were still being taken to hospitals.

Henry declared a month-long state of emergency for the entire country and said he would not seek international assistance until the extent of the damage was known. He said some towns were almost completely destroyed and the government had people in the coastal town of Les Caye to help plan and coordinate the response.

“The most important thing is to get as many survivors back as possible under the rubble,” Henry said. “We have learned that local hospitals, particularly Les Cay Hospital, are overcrowded with the wounded and the broken.”

A 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck Haiti on Saturday morning, August 14, damaging buildings and infrastructure. (Credit: One Show Pam via Storyful)

He said the International Red Cross and hospitals in unaffected areas were helping care for the wounded, and Haitians pleaded for unity.

“The needs are enormous. We must take care of the wounded and the broken, but also provide food, aid, temporary shelter and psychological support,” he said.

Later, as he boarded a plane bound for Les Cayes, Henry said he wanted “organized solidarity” to ensure the response was coordinated to avoid the confusion that followed the devastating 2010 earthquake, when aid was slow to reach residents after they numbered 300,000. killing.

US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, Saturday morning, listened to a briefing on the Haiti earthquake, according to the White House. Biden authorized an immediate response and appointed USAID Administrator Samantha Power as the senior official coordinating the effort.

A growing number of countries have offered assistance, including Argentina and Chile, which have said they are preparing to send humanitarian aid. “Once again, Haiti has been hit hard,” Chilean President Sebastian Pinera said.

Among those killed in the earthquake was Gabriel Fortuny, a longtime lawmaker and former mayor of Lee Kay. Haitian newspaper Le Nouvelliste reported that he and many others died when his Le Manguier hotel collapsed.

Philip Botin, 37, who lives in Puerto Rico but visits his family annually in Les Caye, said his mother had been praying when the shaking started, but was able to leave the house.

The quake coincided with celebrations of the city’s saint, he said, adding that the hotel was likely full and the small town had more people than usual.

“We still don’t know how many people are under the rubble,” he said.

Humanitarian workers said information about deaths and damage was slow to reach Port-au-Prince because of the spotty internet service. Relief efforts also complicate gang activity in the coastal region of Martissant, west of the Haitian capital.

“No one can travel through the region,” Ndiaga Sik, a UNICEF spokesperson in Port-au-Prince, said by phone. “We can just fly or go another route.”

Sick said UNICEF plans to send medical supplies to two hospitals in the south – in Les Caye and Jeremy.

The reports of overcrowded hospitals come as Haiti grapples with the pandemic and lacks resources to deal with it. Just last month, the country of 11 million people received the first batch of coronavirus vaccines donated by the United States, via a United Nations program for low-income countries.

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

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. 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.

The aftershocks will likely last for weeks or months, said Paul Caruso, a geophysicist with the US Geological Survey, with the largest recorded so far with a magnitude of 5.2.

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.

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

The earthquake occurred more than a month after President Jovenel Moise was killed, sending the country into political chaos. His widow, Martin Moyes, posted a message on Twitter calling for unity among Haitians: “Let us gather our shoulders together for solidarity. It is this connection that makes us strong and resilient. Courageous. I am always by your side.”

Humanitarian aid groups said the earthquake would only exacerbate the nation’s suffering.

Jean Wickens-Meron, a spokesperson for World Vision Haiti, said:

___

AP writer Evins Sanon reported this story in Port-au-Prince and AP writer Tami Webber reports from Fenton, Michigan. Associated Press writers Josh Boak in Washington and Daniel Trenton in New York contributed to this report.

Sources 1/ https://Google.com/ 2/ https://www.fox4news.com/news/at-least-29-killed-in-7-2-magnitude-earthquake-in-haiti The mention sources can contact us to remove/changing this article

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos