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Powerful quake off Haitian coast Powerful quake off Haitian coast
(20 minutes later)
Haiti, the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas are on tsunami watch after a powerful, magnitude 7.3 earthquake was registered off the Haitian coast. A powerful, magnitude 7.3 earthquake off the Haitian coast has rocked the capital and sparked a tsunami alert for states in the immediate vicinity.
The impoverished state, which has been plagued by natural disasters, shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic. Eyewitnesses in Port-au-Prince told the Associated Press a hospital and other buildings had collapsed and people were calling for help.
There were no confirmed reports of damage or casualties in Haiti. A visiting US official told the agency the sky was "just grey with dust" and he could hear distant screaming.
But witnesses in the capital Port-au-Prince spoke of feeling the shock and one report said a hospital was damaged. The impoverished state has been plagued by natural disasters.
"A destructive widespread tsunami threat does not exist based on historical earthquake and tsunami data," the US Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said. Tuesday afternoon's earthquake was centred about 15km (10m) south-west of Port-au-Prince, according to the US Geological Survey.
"However, there is the possibility of a local tsunami that could affect coasts located usually no more than a 100km [60 miles] from the earthquake epicentre." It was quickly followed by two strong aftershocks of 5.9 and 5.5 magnitude.
The US Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said there was the possibility of a local tsunami that could affect "coasts located usually no more than a 100km [60 miles] from the earthquake epicentre".
A tsunami watch was in effect for Haiti, the neighbouring Dominican Republic, Cuba and the Bahamas.
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