Haiti Struck By 7.2 Magnitude Earthquake

The epicenter was near the south of the country.

BYMilca P.
Link Copied to Clipboard!
1.8K Views
VALERIE BAERISWYL/AFP via Getty Images

A tsunami warning was issued after a magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck Haiti early Saturday morning.

The quake struck in the Sud department of the island country, 5 miles from the town of Petit Trou de Nippes at a depth of about 6 miles, making it the range of damage for far-reaching than the 7.0-magnitude earthquake that struck the country in 2010. Reports in Jamaica say the quake could be felt nearly 200 miles away from its epicenter.

While the country has issued no official reports as to the number of casualties or the extent of the damage caused, images surfacing on social media, show a slew of flattened infrastructure.

Shortly after, water is seen flooding the streets of the city of Aux-Cayes. While many have assumed it to be the aftermath of a tsunami, local reports indicate that the quake led to a rupture of a significant water pipe.

“Many houses fell, many people are trapped under the rubble,” one resident, Widchelle Augustin, told the New York Times. “We can hear people screaming under the rubble. People are running back-and-forth to the hospital.”

The U.S Tsunami Warning Center has since declared that "tsunami waves are forecast for some coasts.”

This story is still developing

 


  • Link Copied to Clipboard!
About The Author