The 7.0 magnitude earthquake which struck about 10 miles (15km) south-west of Port-au-Prince, capital city of Haiti, around 5 p.m. on Tuesday, was quickly followed by two strong aftershocks of 5.5 and 5.9 magnitude.
According to Julie Detton, a geophysicist, it was considered as the strongest earthquake to hit the region in more than two centuries. The last major earthquake to strike Haiti’s side of the island was in 1860.
According to Felix Augustin, Consulate General of the Republic of Haiti in New York, more than 100,000 are dead in this massive earthquake. The American Red Cross estimates that the Haiti earthquake may have affected about three million people in total. Haiti Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive cannot confirmed the exact number of dead and injured people but he is hoping that it is not hundred thousands. Bellerive was interviewed by CNN and this is what he says,
“I hope that is not true, because I hope the people had the time to get out. Because we have so [many] people on the streets right now, we don’t know exactly where they were living. But so many, so many buildings, so many neighborhoods totally destroyed, and some neighborhoods we don’t even see people”
Jean-Max Bellerive, Haiti Prime Minister
A lot of buildings collapsed. Not only movie theaters, cybercafe, houses, supermarkets, schools, cathedral, and hospitals were destroyed but according to Raymond Joseph, Haiti’s ambassador to the U.S., the tax office, the ministry of commerce, foreign ministry, and presidential palace had all been damaged.
Major companies pledged millions of dollars to help victims of earthquake in Haiti. The top mobile phone operator in Haiti, Digicel Group, will donate $5 million, Lowe’s Cos Inc will donate $1 million, Bank of Nova Scotia and National Bank of Canada will donate C$250,000, and Bank of Nova Scotia will donate $100,000. FedEx Corp and United Parcel Service Inc (UPS) will work with Red Cross in delivering aid to disaster zones.
President Barack Obama said American search teams are on their way to aid in rescue efforts. He also urged his countrymen trying to locate family members in Haiti to call State Department at 888-407-4747.
IMAGE CREDIT: Lisandro Suero, AFP/Getty Images
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