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Many feared dead in Haiti quake 'Hundreds dead' after Haiti quake
(44 minutes later)
A 7.0-magnitude earthquake which struck off the coast of Haiti is feared to have caused major loss of life in and around the capital, Port-au-Prince. A 7.0-magnitude quake which hit south of the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince is feared to have killed hundreds of people across the Caribbean country.
Haiti's worst quake in two centuries seriously damaged the HQ of the UN mission in Haiti and a "large number" of its personnel are reported missing. In the space of a minute, Haiti's worst quake in two centuries wrecked the HQ of the UN mission, Haiti's national palace and numerous other buildings.
The national palace and a hospital are among other buildings badly damaged, and rescuers are digging under rubble. A "large number" of UN personnel were reported missing by the organisation.
Haiti's envoy to the US said it was a "catastrophe of major proportions". Describing it as a "catastrophe", Haiti's envoy to the US said the cost of the damage could run into billions.
The quake, which struck about 15km (10 miles) south-west of the capital, was quickly followed by two strong aftershocks of 5.9 and 5.5 magnitude. The quake, which struck about 15km (10 miles) south-west of Port-au-Prince, was quickly followed by two strong aftershocks of 5.9 and 5.5 magnitude.
The tremor hit at 1653 (2153 GMT), the US Geological Survey said. Phone lines to the country failed shortly afterwards.The tremor hit at 1653 (2153 GMT), the US Geological Survey said. Phone lines to the country failed shortly afterwards.
A Reuters reporter in Port-au-Prince, Joseph Guyler Delva, said he had seen "dozens of dead and injured people" in the rubble of fallen buildings. Aid workers and reporters at the scene estimated the number of dead to be in the hundreds or even thousands.
Karel Zelenka, a Catholic Relief Services representative in Port-au-Prince, told colleagues in the US "there must be thousands of people dead". Vehicles ferrying the injured to hospital were hampered by rubble blocking the capital's streets.
The aid worker had managed to phone his colleagues before communication links went down. Bodies, white with dust, could be seen piled on the back of a pick-up truck.
The BBC's Nick Davies in neighbouring Jamaica says the ground apparently shook for more than a minute in Haiti. As night fell, Rachmani Domersant, an operations manager with the Food for the Poor charity, said: "The whole city is in darkness.
Local people, he said, were using anything they could get their hands on - including farm equipment - to help release those trapped in the quake. "You have thousands of people sitting in the streets with nowhere to go. There are people running, crying, screaming," Reuters news agency quoted him as saying.
Our correspondent adds that, as the poorest country in the western hemisphere, Haiti is likely to need international aid in order to cope with the quake's impact. Adding that he had seen no rescue vehicles in the hillside suburb of Petionville, he said: "People are trying to dig victims out with flashlights.
"I think hundreds of casualties would be a serious understatement."
As the poorest country in the western hemisphere, Haiti is likely to need international aid in order to cope with the quake's impact, the BBC's Nick Davies reports from neighbouring Jamaica.
'Three million affected''Three million affected'
In a statement issued in New York, the UN said that its local HQ in Haiti had "sustained serious damage along with other UN installations". In a statement issued in New York, the UN said that its local HQ in Haiti had "sustained serious damage along with other UN installations" and "a large number" of personnel were missing.
I just hear a tremendous amount of noise and shouting and screaming in the distance Henry Bahn US Department of Agriculture official, visiting Haiti class="" href="/2/hi/americas/8455735.stm">Eyewitness: 'Blood all over them' EYEWITNESS Carel Pedre, TV and radio presenter, Port-au-Prince I saw a lot of people crying for help, a lot of buildings collapsed, a lot of car damage, a lot of people without help, people bleeding.
"A large number of personnel remain unaccounted for," it added. I saw a movie theatre, a supermarket, a cybercafe, an apartment building which collapsed.
The UN stabilisation mission plays a vital role in ensuring security in Haiti. Now it's dark outside, there is no electricity, all the phone networks are down, so there's no way that people can get in touch with their family and friends.
Raymond Joseph, Haiti's ambassador to the US, told CNN: "I think it is really a catastrophe of major proportions." There are aftershocks every 15 to 20 minutes. They last from three to five seconds. The first shock was really strong, people were falling in the streets and buildings collapsed.
He said he had just spoken to a government colleague in Port-au-Prince: I didn't see any emergency services, the people at the neighbourhood were trying to help each other.
"He had to stop his car just about half an hour ago, and take to the streets, start walking, but he said houses were crumbling on the right side of the street and the left side of the street. The streets are narrow and there is lot of traffic and everyone is trying to reach family and friends. Traffic now is really difficult. People don't know where to go or where to start. class="" href="/2/hi/americas/8455735.stm">Eyewitness: 'Blood all over them'
"He does not know whether he would reach his home, not knowing what he would find, because he had a bridge to cross to get there." UN peacekeeping chief Alain Le Roy said it was unclear how many people had been inside the building.
Mike Blanpied of the US Geological Survey said that, based on the location and size of the quake, about three million people will have been severely shaken by its impact. The UN's stabilisation mission plays a vital role in ensuring security in Haiti.
Raymond Joseph, Haiti's ambassador to the US, said the presidential palace, the tax office, the ministry of commerce and the foreign ministry had all been damaged, but the airport was intact.
The World Bank, which said its local offices were destroyed but that most staff were accounted for, planned to send a team to help Haiti assess damage and plan a recovery, Reuters reported.
Mike Blanpied of the US Geological Survey said that, based on the location and size of the quake, about three million people would have been severely shaken by its impact.
"This quake occurred under land as opposed to off-shore, so a lot of people were directly exposed to the shaking coming off that earthquake fault, which was quite shallow," he told the BBC."This quake occurred under land as opposed to off-shore, so a lot of people were directly exposed to the shaking coming off that earthquake fault, which was quite shallow," he told the BBC.
He added that as the quake had occurred near a highly populated urban area, the aftershocks could cause additional damage to already shaken buildings.
US President Barack Obama said in a statement that his "thoughts and prayers" were with the people of Haiti and America stood ready to assist them.US President Barack Obama said in a statement that his "thoughts and prayers" were with the people of Haiti and America stood ready to assist them.
'Rubble and wire''Rubble and wire'
An Associated Press cameraman saw the wrecked hospital in Petionville, a hilly suburb of the capital, and Henry Bahn, a visiting official from the US Department of Agriculture, said he had seen houses which had tumbled into a ravine. In the minutes after the quake, Henry Bahn, a visiting official from the US Department of Agriculture, said he had seen houses which had tumbled into a ravine.
HAITI COUNTRY PROFILE Half of Caribbean island of HispaniolaHistory of violence, instability and dictatorshipPopulation of 10 million peopleMost live on less than $2 a dayDemocratic rule restored in 2006Economy in ruins and unemployment is chronicUN peacekeepers deployed - foreign aid seen as vitalMassive deforestation has left just 2% forestHAITI COUNTRY PROFILE Half of Caribbean island of HispaniolaHistory of violence, instability and dictatorshipPopulation of 10 million peopleMost live on less than $2 a dayDemocratic rule restored in 2006Economy in ruins and unemployment is chronicUN peacekeepers deployed - foreign aid seen as vitalMassive deforestation has left just 2% forest
"Everybody is just totally, totally freaked out and shaken," said Mr Bahn, who described the sky as "just grey with dust"."Everybody is just totally, totally freaked out and shaken," said Mr Bahn, who described the sky as "just grey with dust".
He said he had been walking to his hotel room when the ground began to shake.He said he had been walking to his hotel room when the ground began to shake.
"I just held on and bounced across the wall," he said."I just held on and bounced across the wall," he said.
"I just hear a tremendous amount of noise and shouting and screaming in the distance.""I just hear a tremendous amount of noise and shouting and screaming in the distance."
He said rocks were strewn all over the place, and the ravine where several homes had fallen in was "just full of collapsed walls and rubble and barbed wire".He said rocks were strewn all over the place, and the ravine where several homes had fallen in was "just full of collapsed walls and rubble and barbed wire".
BBC News website readers in the Dominican Republic, which borders Haiti on the island of Hispaniola, said they had also felt the quake.BBC News website readers in the Dominican Republic, which borders Haiti on the island of Hispaniola, said they had also felt the quake.
"My family is on the 8th floor of a tower in downtown Santo Domingo," wrote Max Levine."My family is on the 8th floor of a tower in downtown Santo Domingo," wrote Max Levine.
"We felt a swaying of the building for 5-10 seconds. All the lamps were swinging. There was a 20-second pause and then another similar sway. We rushed out of the building with many others to the street.""We felt a swaying of the building for 5-10 seconds. All the lamps were swinging. There was a 20-second pause and then another similar sway. We rushed out of the building with many others to the street."
In the immediate aftermath of the quake, a tsunami watch was put out for Haiti, Cuba and the Bahamas, but this was later lifted.In the immediate aftermath of the quake, a tsunami watch was put out for Haiti, Cuba and the Bahamas, but this was later lifted.
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