Telenovelas, Hundreds of people are feared dead after a huge earthquake rocked the Caribbean island of Haiti.Many buildings have collapsed in the quake, which measured 7.0 on the Richter scale, the largest ever in the area. Two powerful aftershocks followed the main shock.
There are scenes of devastation in the capital Port-au-Prince, which was only 10 miles from the epicentre of the quake.
A reporter for the Reuters agency said he saw dozens of dead and injured people in the debris, which blocked streets in the city.
A local doctor said the dead "would be measured in hundreds".
Substantial casualties are expected in nearby Petionville where a hospital and a three-storey building are understood to be among the many structures to have collapsed.
The country's presidential palace in Port-au-Prince is also understood to have fallen.
Communication lines have been severed across the impoverished island, further hindering the rescue operations.
A reporter for the AFP agency said a tractor was already at the scene trying to dig out victims as people fled onto the streets of the impoverished country in panic.
No details on casualties were immediately available.
Sky News US correspondent Greg Milam said: "The government in Haiti has issued an appeal for help.
"Already they know there is severe damage."
US President Barack Obama said his country stands "ready to assist" the island."My thoughts and prayers go out to those who have been affected by this earthquake," he said.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton pledged both military and civilian disaster assistance shortly afterwards.
"The United States is offering our full assistance to Haiti and to others in the region," she announced.
"Our prayers are with the people who have suffered, their families and their loved ones."
In addition, the US Fund for Unicef launched an urgent appeal for emergency assistance to aid the victims.Eyewitness Joel Trimble, a missionary in Haiti, told Sky News Online: "The biggest thing that is needed is very well trained emergency workers. Drinking water is a big problem here.
"Everything they need, they're going to have to come with it, because they won't find it here.
"There's a cloud of dust over Port-au-Prince right now."
The quake, which was the largest ever recorded in the area, was followed by two powerful aftershocks, measuring 5.9 and 5.5 on the Richter scale.
A tsunami watch was immediately issued for Haiti, the neighbouring Dominican Republic, with which it shares the island of Hispaniola, Cuba and the Bahamas.
There are scenes of devastation in the capital Port-au-Prince, which was only 10 miles from the epicentre of the quake.
A reporter for the Reuters agency said he saw dozens of dead and injured people in the debris, which blocked streets in the city.
A local doctor said the dead "would be measured in hundreds".
Substantial casualties are expected in nearby Petionville where a hospital and a three-storey building are understood to be among the many structures to have collapsed.
The country's presidential palace in Port-au-Prince is also understood to have fallen.
Communication lines have been severed across the impoverished island, further hindering the rescue operations.
A reporter for the AFP agency said a tractor was already at the scene trying to dig out victims as people fled onto the streets of the impoverished country in panic.
No details on casualties were immediately available.
Sky News US correspondent Greg Milam said: "The government in Haiti has issued an appeal for help.
"Already they know there is severe damage."
US President Barack Obama said his country stands "ready to assist" the island."My thoughts and prayers go out to those who have been affected by this earthquake," he said.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton pledged both military and civilian disaster assistance shortly afterwards.
"The United States is offering our full assistance to Haiti and to others in the region," she announced.
"Our prayers are with the people who have suffered, their families and their loved ones."
In addition, the US Fund for Unicef launched an urgent appeal for emergency assistance to aid the victims.Eyewitness Joel Trimble, a missionary in Haiti, told Sky News Online: "The biggest thing that is needed is very well trained emergency workers. Drinking water is a big problem here.
"Everything they need, they're going to have to come with it, because they won't find it here.
"There's a cloud of dust over Port-au-Prince right now."
The quake, which was the largest ever recorded in the area, was followed by two powerful aftershocks, measuring 5.9 and 5.5 on the Richter scale.
A tsunami watch was immediately issued for Haiti, the neighbouring Dominican Republic, with which it shares the island of Hispaniola, Cuba and the Bahamas.
No comments:
Post a Comment