Massive Earthquake Jolts Haiti, Destroys Over 37000 Homes
Bhubaneswar: A 7.2 Magnitude quake that struck Haiti on 14th of August at around 8.30 in the morning has caused massive devastation, bringing destruction to over 37,000 homes and over 46,000 people. The quake has left over 2189 dead and tens of thousands injured. Search & rescue operations are still on, however, many are still missing.
Struck in the southwestern part of the hemisphere’s poorest nation, the quake has devastated many towns and has triggered landslides in the areas that has hampered rescue operations in the zone already struggling with the COVID pandemic, a presidential assassination and flood of gang violence. The quake has left thousands homeless and is creating a pressing shelter and WASH(Water, Sanitation & Hygiene) needs in the country.
(Also read: Intensified quake felt across the North India)
As of a report by the US Geological Survey, the epicentre of the earthquake was about 125 Kilometres west of the capital of Port-au-Prince. After the hit, the aftershocks continued to jolt the area on Sunday, the 15th August. The incident has demolishes many Homes, Hospitals, Schools, offices and churches, said the Caribbean nation’s civil protection agency.
Many are still missing, and rescue operations are underway. Tens of thousands of buildings were destroyed and damaged in the country still recovering from another devastating quake in 2010, added the agency.
The massive quake hit Haiti amidst the rising COVID pandemic, Political chaos with the assassination of the president and gang violence thats still ongoing in the small coastal country.
Notably, on the early morning of 7 July 2021, the former president of Haiti, Jovenel Moïse was assassinated and his wife Martine was injured during an attack on their private residence in Pétion-Ville.
With this ongoing tensions, the government of Haiti has declared a month long state of emergency in the 4 provinces affected badly by the quake.
