Haiti Earthquake: This Saturday, August 14, 2021 at 08:29:09 a.m., an earthquake of magnitude 7.2 on the Richter scale occurred on the western side of Haiti.
Damage of collapsed buildings and deaths have been reported. It’s uncertain the death toll at this time but thousands are feared to be dead.
The epicenter was located 20km south of Petit Trou de Nippes (Dept. Nippes), 121km south-west of Port-au-Prince (Dept. Ouest), 12 km north-east of Saint-Louis du Sud (Dept. South), 75km south-east of Jérémie (Dept. Grand’Anse). The earthquake was felt in many areas.
The Directorate of Civil Protection (DPC) announced that the first information reports that houses have collapsed and that people could have died.
DPC message
“Remember that after earthquakes there are always aftershocks. Southerners do not stay in or near anything that might fall,” DPC message.
“The first images that reach me are terrible. The earthquake caused a lot of damage in the Great South. Let us hope that there is not much loss of human life,” Renald Lubérice, Secretary General of the Council of Ministers.
United States Geological Survey (USGS)
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) estimates that it is “likely” that the magnitude 7.2 earthquake recorded in southern Haiti will “cause a high number of victims”, in addition to “significant” material damage.
Hospital overwhelmed
The general hospital in Les Cayes is overwhelmed. Lots of injured. Many houses have collapsed in Les Cayes.
Among the other destructions, two hotels Le Manguier and Petit pas hôtel collapsed under their customers.
The hospital needs emergency backup and medicine.
Significant material damage is reported in several cities, several deaths are to be deplored according to Jerry Chandler Director of Civil Protection.
Haiti Government
Prime Minister Ariel Henry went to the national emergency operations center in Port-au-Prince.
Jerry Chandler of Civil Protection announces the sending of aid to earthquake-stricken areas
In Port-au-Prince, there are people panicking in the streets. The earthquake brings back very bad memories to all those who experienced the earthquake of January 12, 2010, which killed more than two hundred thousand people in Haiti.
Contribution: Haiti Libre
