Haiti 7.0 Earthquake 10 miles Southwest from Port-au-Prince

[Luke_Wilbur]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yM8NvB4vPdI

A 7.0 magnitude earthquake has struck off the coast of Haiti earlier today at 21:53 UTC, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). According to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, no tsunami warning was issued, contradicting some media reports that said there was one in place.

The quake's magnitude was revised down from an initial report of 7.3 on the Richter scale. The USGS reports that the epicentre was fifteen kilometres (ten miles) southwest of Port-au-Prince and 1,140 kilometers (708 miles) southeast of Miami, Florida, at a depth of ten kilometres.

[Guest DCpages Staff]

The President gave the following statement tonight:

My thoughts and prayers go out to those who have been affected by this earthquake. We are closely monitoring the situation and we stand ready to assist the people of Haiti.

 

The White House also put out this background information: The President was informed of the earthquake at 5:52pm. The President asked his staff to make sure that embassy personnel are safe, and to begin preparations in the event that humanitarian assistance is needed. The Department of State, USAID and the United States Southern Command have begun working to coordinate an assessment and any such assistance.

[Guest American Red Cross]

For missing family, call 1-888-407-4747. To help with relief efforts, text "HAITI" to "90999" and $10 will be given automatically to the Red Cross, charged to your cell phone bill.

 

The American Red Cross is pledging an initial $200,000 to assist communities impacted by this earthquake, and is prepared to take further action as local responders assess the situation. As with most earthquakes, we expect to see immediate needs for food, water, temporary shelter, medical services and emotional support.

[Guest DCpages Staff]

"CBS News RAW": daytime pictures of the aftermath of the Tuesday's earthquake in Haiti. There were crying victims among the downed buildings.

[Guest Wiki]

The United Nations has announced that the government of Haiti has put an end to its efforts to find and rescue buried survivors of the earthquake that hit the region eleven days ago. The announcement comes just a day after two people were found alive.

 

According to Elizabeth Byrs, the UN spokeswoman, 132 people have been rescued since the earthquake hit. The death toll, as of Friday, is estimated to be 110,000. It is thought that the chances of survival are so slim that it is not worth the resources required for a successful rescue operation. Byrs called the decision to end the rescue effort "heartbreaking", but added that it had been advised by experts.

 

Only yesterday, an 84-year-old woman was found—severely injured and dehydrated—in the rubble of her home, and Emmannuel Buso, aged 21, was rescued by an Israeli search team. He said that he was coming out of the shower when the earthquake hit, and survived ten days by drinking his own urine. There is currently no information on whether the Israeli team will also stop their rescue efforts.

 

At least 130,000 people have been relocated out of Port-au-Prince, say the UN, whose World Food Program has provided approximately 2 million meals to starving people and calls the current operation "the most complex operation WFP has ever launched".

 

The magnitude 7 earthquake is estimated to have made 1.5 million people homeless, and some estimations of the death toll rise as high as 200,000. More than 75,000 bodies have been recovered and buried in mass graves, while more remain in the streets waiting to be collected.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8476474.stm

 

Shortly after the announcement, a French rescue team reported that it was trying to save a man who is trapped under the ruins of a hotel and supermarket. They cannot yet see the man, who said that he saw the team's light, and that as many as five other people are trapped with him. The rescue team said that it could take two hours to rescue the man.

 

It is hoped that removing focus from the rescue operation will allow more money and effort to be diverted to the logistically difficult relief effort, which has already seen planes arriving at the now operational Port-au-Prince airport at a rate of 150 per day and a United States Navy hospital ship, the USNS Comfort, moored outside the partly-operational seaport.