Haiti earthquake latest news THOUSANDS feared dead as huge magnitude 7 quake hits Caribbean

THOUSANDS of people are feared dead after a huge 7.2 magnitude earthquake hit western Haiti on Saturday.

The quake struck 8 km from the town of Petit Trou de Nippes, about 150 km west of the capital Port-au-Prince, at a depth of 10 km, the US Geological Survey said.

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HAITIAN AUTHORITIES FEAR EXTREME DAMAGE

Haitian politicians and authorities fear the “awful” aftermath of the devastating earthquake that hit the island today.

Renald Lubérice, the general secretary of Haiti’s ministerial council, tweeted in French: “The first images that have reached me are awful.

“The earthquake has caused a great deal of damage in the south. Hopefully there isn’t major loss of life.”

SHOCKING PICTURES POSTED TO TWITTER SHOW DEMOLISHED BUILDINGS

My prayers are with the people of Haiti and other affected territories who were this morning shaken by a 7.2 magnitude earthquake along the Enriquillo-Plantain Garden Fault.

Photo credit: Jose Flécher pic.twitter.com/5usbSdisbT

â€" Andrew Holness (@AndrewHolnessJM) August 14, 2021

GRACE COULD MOVE OVER HAITI

Tropical Storm Grace could move over Haiti even after the devastating earthquake today.

Grace was previously a Tropical Depression, but has now been redesignated as a Storm.

The storm is currently around 265 miles southeast of the Leeward Islands in the Atlantic.

VIDEOS EMERGE OF EARTHQUAKE’S AFTERMATH

PHOTOS OF DESTROYED BUILDINGS

USGS ISSUES RED ALERT

The US Geological Study issued a red alert after an earthquake of magnitude 7.2 struck Haiti.

The storm’s center was located about 7.5miles northeast of Saint-Louis du Sud in the western part of the island, Axios reports.

WHEN WAS THE 2010 EARTHQUAKE?

Haiti is still feeling the effects of its devastating earthquake in January 2010.

Although the earthquake lasted on 35 seconds, it killed at least 100,000 people, but the government’s estimate of the death toll is a shocking 316,000.

RESIDENTS TAKE TO TWITTER TO SHARE DEVASTATING PICTURES

One resident took to Twitter to post a picture of his family’s destroyed home following the devastating earthquake that hit Haiti.

HOSPITALS OVERWHELMED

Reports are emerging that hospitals are overwhelmed following the devastating earthquake that hit Saturday.

It comes as the US Geological Survey (USGS) has estimated “thousands of fatalities” and “tens of thousands of injuries in poor mountainous communities.”

TWITTER VIDEOS SHOW ‘SCENES OF DESTRUCTION’

EARTHQUAKE COMES AFTER ASSASSINATION

Haiti is still reeling from the assassination of its president, Jovenel Moïse, on July 7.

The disaster-stricken nation is one of the poorest nations in the world, with 60 percent of its population living below the poverty line.

Haiti is still also still feeling the effects of its devastating earthquake in January 2010.

RESIDENTS POST VIDEOS OF WRECKAGE

‘HAZARDOUS TSUNAMI WAVES’

The US Tsunami Warning System said “hazardous tsunami waves are forecast” with waves reaching one to three meters above the tide level possible along the coast of Haiti.

A series of smaller aftershocks continued to shake the island after the original quake, USGS reported.

One registering a magnitude of 5.2 occurred 17 km (10 miles) from Chantal earlier this morning.

AFTERSHOCK STRIKES

Authorities are reporting that the initial earthquake of a magnitude of 7.2 will be followed by an aftershock of magnitude 4.1 and 5.2.

FOLLOWS OTHER EARTHQUAKES

Haiti is still also still feeling the effects of its devastating earthquake in January 2010.

It comes just over two weeks since a massive 8.2 earthquake rattled buildings in Alaska and prompted Tsunami warnings in Hawaii.

Earlier Saturday, a 6.9 earthquake hit the southeast of Alaska. So far no injuries have been reported.

‘DEVASTATING’ FOOTAGE FROM EARTHQUAKE

Here are more devastating images from the 7.2 magnitude in Les Cayes 🇭🇹 Top diplomats are also telling me that “….the Catholic Church in the city “Les Anglais” came down. It was baptism day there. 😞 So far, there are no reports yet of deaths.” #haitiearthquake pic.twitter.com/HfkJyiAkUR

â€" Calvin Hughes (@CalvinWPLG) August 14, 2021

VIDEOS SHOW CHAOS FOLLOWING EARTHQUAKE

RESIDENT FELT GROUND SHAKE

Naomi Verneus, a 34-year-old resident of Port-au-Prince, told the AP she was jolted awake by the earthquake and that her bed was shaking.

“I woke up and didn’t have time to put my shoes on. We lived the 2010 earthquake and all I could do was run,” she said.

“I later remembered my two kids and my mother were still inside. My neighbor went in and told them to get out. We ran to the street.”

RESIDENTS EXPRESS FEAR

Images posted to social media also showed significant damage to buildings including collapsed homes and rubble splayed across the road.

“Everyone is really afraid. It’s been years since such a big earthquake,” Daniel Ross, a resident in the eastern Cuban city of Guantanamo, told Reuters, adding that his home stood firm but the furniture shook.

VIDEOS POSTED TO TWITTER SHOW DESTROYED BUILDINGS

EARTHQUAKE COMES AFTER ALASKA HIT

The earthquake comes just over two weeks since a massive 8.2 earthquake rattled buildings in Alaska and prompted Tsunami warnings in Hawaii.

Earlier Saturday, a 6.9 earthquake hit to the southeast of Alaska.

So far no injuries have been reported.

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