Rescue workers are scrambling to find survivors after a powerful 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck Haiti, killing at least 304 and toppling buildings.
The epicentre of the shaking, which rattled homes and sent terrified locals fleeing for safety starting around 08:30 (12:30 GMT) on Saturday, was about 160km by road west of the centre of the densely populated capital Port-au-Prince. READ| 29 killed as strong 7.2 magnitude earthquake strikes Haiti Churches, businesses, schools and homes crumbled in the quake that trapped hundreds of victims under rubble and left at least 1 800 people injured, the country’s civil protection agency said. Rescuers raced against the clock to find survivors, with the civil protection tweeting that efforts by „both professional rescuers and members of the public have led to many people being pulled from the rubble“, adding that already overburdened hospitals continue to receive injured. Hours after the quake, the agency announced the death toll had jumped to 304, ticking upward throughout the day from a first report of 29 fatalities. Hospitals hard hit The long initial quake was felt in much of the Caribbean, emanating from the epicentre at Haiti’s southwestern peninsula. The civil protection said at least 160 people were killed in the country’s South department alone.
