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Strong aftershock rattles Haiti | |
(about 3 hours later) | |
A strong aftershock has rocked Haiti, sending screaming people running into the streets, eight days after another quake devastated the country. | |
The extent of the damage is not yet known. The magnitude 6.1 tremor struck west of Port-au-Prince at 0603 local time (1103 GMT). | |
An estimated 200,000 people died in last Tuesday's quake and another 1.5 million were made homeless. | |
Despite an international aid operation, supplies are slow to reach survivors. | |
However, international teams are still rescuing people alive from the rubble, including a 69-year-old woman pulled from the ruins of a church in the capital. | |
The US military has defended its handling of the rescue operation, as aid groups complained of long delays in getting vital supplies of food, water and medicine. | |
Haitian President Rene Preval said aid delivery was the main problem now. | Haitian President Rene Preval said aid delivery was the main problem now. |
Help came "very fast," Mr Preval told a French radio station. "When it arrives, the question is: where are the trucks to transport it, where are the depots?" | Help came "very fast," Mr Preval told a French radio station. "When it arrives, the question is: where are the trucks to transport it, where are the depots?" |
Fresh panic | |
The US Geological Survey said Wednesday's tremor was centred 35 miles (56km) north-west of the capital. It struck at a depth of 6.2 miles (9.9km), but was too far inland to generate any tsunamis in the Caribbean. | |
We were forced to buy a saw in the market to continue amputations Loris de FilippiMedicins Sans Frontieres Mass amputation fears How to manage a crisis In pictures: Haiti one week on US opens doors to Haiti orphans Battle against the looters | We were forced to buy a saw in the market to continue amputations Loris de FilippiMedicins Sans Frontieres Mass amputation fears How to manage a crisis In pictures: Haiti one week on US opens doors to Haiti orphans Battle against the looters |
Some buildings already weakened by last week's quake collapsed and wails of terror filled the air as frightened survivors poured out of unstable buildings, a BBC correspondent in the region said. | |
Although some aid has started to reach desperate survivors, hundreds of thousands are still without food or water, a full week after the disaster. | |
Medicins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) said its cargo plane with 12 tonnes of medical supplies had been turned away from the congested Port-au-Prince airport three times since Sunday. It said five patients died from lack of the supplies it carried. | |
"We were forced to buy a saw in the market to continue amputations," the group's Loris de Filippi told the Reuters news agency in Cite Soleil. | "We were forced to buy a saw in the market to continue amputations," the group's Loris de Filippi told the Reuters news agency in Cite Soleil. |
But the US military has defended its efforts in the face of vast logistical challenges. | But the US military has defended its efforts in the face of vast logistical challenges. |
"We're doing everything in our power to speed aid to Haiti as fast as humanly possible," said Gen Douglas Fraser, head of US Southern Command. | "We're doing everything in our power to speed aid to Haiti as fast as humanly possible," said Gen Douglas Fraser, head of US Southern Command. |
He said they plan to start using two other airports, at Jacmel in Haiti and San Isidro in the neighbouring Dominican Republic, in the coming days. | He said they plan to start using two other airports, at Jacmel in Haiti and San Isidro in the neighbouring Dominican Republic, in the coming days. |
Amazing rescues | Amazing rescues |
One full week after the magnitude seven quake devastated the country, search-and-rescue teams were emerging from the ruins with unbelievable success stories. | One full week after the magnitude seven quake devastated the country, search-and-rescue teams were emerging from the ruins with unbelievable success stories. |
Woman rescued after spending a week under earthquake rubble | |
Ena Zizi, 69, was rescued from the wreckage of the residence of Haiti's Roman Catholic archbishop on Monday, a day before crews recovered the body of the archbishop himself, Monsignor Joseph Serge Miot. | Ena Zizi, 69, was rescued from the wreckage of the residence of Haiti's Roman Catholic archbishop on Monday, a day before crews recovered the body of the archbishop himself, Monsignor Joseph Serge Miot. |
Another survivor, 25-year-old Lozama Hotteline, was rescued from beneath a collapsed supermarket with the help of teams from Turkey and France. | |
Television pictures showed her smiling and singing as she was carried to safety. | Television pictures showed her smiling and singing as she was carried to safety. |
The United Nations said early on Wednesday that 121 people had been rescued by international teams since the 12 January earthquake - an extra 31 people on Tuesday. | |
Aid challenges | Aid challenges |
In a bid to speed up the delivery of aid and stem looting and violence, US troops have stepped up their presence in the quake-ravaged country. | In a bid to speed up the delivery of aid and stem looting and violence, US troops have stepped up their presence in the quake-ravaged country. |
AT THE SCENE Mark Doyle, BBC News, Port-au-Prince | |
Haiti was extremely poor even before the earthquake, and this disaster has now broken all the basic services, like phones and electricity. | |
But Haitians are resilient. Everywhere there are volunteers filling some of the gaps created by the slow arrival of international aid. | |
A company which sells drinking water is distributing it free to people living in a school compound. | |
A Haitian Jesuit priest has mobilised local relief workers and international doctors to work together in a rural region just outside the capital. | |
In a slum area, a volunteer first-aider dressed the wounds of a girl who had been trapped in rubble. | |
These largely unsung heroes know they can't replace the big foreign aid agencies, but they're doing what they can to fill the gaps. | |
US Black Hawk helicopters swooped down on the grounds of Haiti's wrecked presidential palace on Tuesday, dropping scores of US troops who moved to secure a nearby hospital and set up aid distribution points. | US Black Hawk helicopters swooped down on the grounds of Haiti's wrecked presidential palace on Tuesday, dropping scores of US troops who moved to secure a nearby hospital and set up aid distribution points. |
US Army Maj Gen Daniel Allyn, the deputy commander for relief operations in Haiti, said the military had delivered 400,000 bottles of water and 300,000 food rations since last Tuesday's earthquake. | US Army Maj Gen Daniel Allyn, the deputy commander for relief operations in Haiti, said the military had delivered 400,000 bottles of water and 300,000 food rations since last Tuesday's earthquake. |
He said the number of US troops would grow to 10,000 in the coming weeks. | |
Meanwhile, the UN Security Council voted to temporarily boost its peacekeeping forces by 3,500 personnel. UN officials said they would accompany US troops as they delivered supplies. | Meanwhile, the UN Security Council voted to temporarily boost its peacekeeping forces by 3,500 personnel. UN officials said they would accompany US troops as they delivered supplies. |
While military escorts are still needed to deliver relief supplies, the United Nations said fears of violence and looting had eased. | While military escorts are still needed to deliver relief supplies, the United Nations said fears of violence and looting had eased. |
Improved security | |
"The overall security situation in Port-au-Prince remains stable, with limited, localised violence and looting occurring," the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said. | "The overall security situation in Port-au-Prince remains stable, with limited, localised violence and looting occurring," the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said. |
So far, feared infectious diseases have not shown up, although many injured faced the immediate threats of tetanus and gangrene, and hospitals are overwhelmed. | So far, feared infectious diseases have not shown up, although many injured faced the immediate threats of tetanus and gangrene, and hospitals are overwhelmed. |
The UN says "localised looting" is occurring, but overall security is good | |
The Pentagon said a navy hospital ship, the USNS Comfort, had received its first Haitian patients, even as it was still heading towards Haiti. | |
US Defence Secretary Robert Gates said the military is sending additional ships to help with earthquake recovery in Haiti, including one that could remove debris blocking the main port. | US Defence Secretary Robert Gates said the military is sending additional ships to help with earthquake recovery in Haiti, including one that could remove debris blocking the main port. |
The World Food Programme said it was planning to bring in 10,000 gallons (40,000 litres) of diesel a day from the neighbouring Dominican Republic as Haitian fuel supplies dried up. | The World Food Programme said it was planning to bring in 10,000 gallons (40,000 litres) of diesel a day from the neighbouring Dominican Republic as Haitian fuel supplies dried up. |
Haitian officials say the death toll from the quake was likely to be between 100,000 and 200,000, and that 75,000 bodies had already been buried in mass graves. | Haitian officials say the death toll from the quake was likely to be between 100,000 and 200,000, and that 75,000 bodies had already been buried in mass graves. |