At Least 304 Are Dead After 7.2 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Haiti

A massive 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti on Saturday morning, the U.S. Geological Survey said, raising fears of destruction similar to the devastating 2010 quake that shattered the country.

At least 304 people have died and more than 1,800 were injured, according to Haiti’s civil protection service. The USGS predicts the death toll could reach into the thousands.

“It looks like it’s really bad,” USGS geophysicist Paul Caruso told NPR. “There could be a lot of casualties.” Caruso said Saturday’s quake is on par with the 2010 quake because of its similar magnitude and because it occurred along the same fault line.

A 7.0-magnitude quake hit Haiti on Jan. 12, 2010, leaving an estimated 220,000 dead, some 1.5 million people displaced and about 300,000 injured.

Ariel Henry, Haiti’s new prime minister, in a translated tweet extended his sympathies “to the parents of the victims of this violent earthquake which caused several losses of human and material lives in several geographical departments of the country.”

Henry said he will declare a state of emergency for one month as the country assesses the damage from the disaster and sends teams to the area for search and rescue missions.

Source: Agencies