Thousands are feared dead in Haiti after an earthquake measuring 7.0 on the richter scale shook the island on the night of Tuesday 12th. The worst to hit this part of the Caribbean in more than 200 years began at approximately 5pm local time, toppling buildings in the capital Port-au-Prince and provoking repeated aftershocks.
Gareth Owen, emergencies director at Save the Children, which has about 60 staff in Haiti, said: “We are very concerned about the high likelihood of a significant loss of life because Port-au-Prince is a very densely populated city and the earthquake epicentre was very close to it.”
According to the US Geological Services, the earthquake occurred at a distance of 15km from the capital and at a depth of 15km. The relative superficiality of the disaster is what gave rise to its particularly devastating effects. The US tsunami alert centre has placed the coasts of Haiti, Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Bahamas on alert.
No official death toll has yet emerged but tens of thousands of homes, including a hospital and the UN peacekeeping mission, have clearly been destroyed. The Red Cross estimates a total of three million people will have been affected. International aid groups are in the process of planning major disaster relief efforts.