Death Toll Crosses 1,297 After Massive 7.2-Magnitude Earthquake in Haiti

The epicentre of the earthquake was located about 160 kilometres from the capital Port-au-Prince.

The epicentre of the earthquake was located about 160 kilometres from the densely populated capital of Port-au-Prince.

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter/@AndrewHolnessJM)

After a massive 7.2-magnitude earthquake rocked Haiti on Saturday, 14 August, the country's civil protection agency on Monday announced that the death toll has risen to 1,297, reported news agency IANS.

The Civil Protection Service in a tweet on Sunday mentioned that 1,054 people were killed in Sud, 122 in Nippes, 119 in Grand'Anse, and 2 in Nord-Ouest. The earthquake has injured 5,700 people in Haiti, Xinhua news agency reported.

According to news agency AFP, rescue workers are struggling to find survivors after the earthquake toppled buildings in the disaster-prone nation, which had witnessed a similar earthquake in 2010.

Following the earthquake, the US Geological Survey issued a tsunami alert, which was later lifted.

The epicentre of the earthquake was located about 160 kilometres from the densely populated capital of Port-au-Prince.

Apart from houses, the earthquake is said to have damaged school buildings across Haiti's southwestern peninsula.

Haiti Declares Emergency 

According to the country's civil protection agency, the death count has been rising from an initial count of 29 to over 300. It said that while hundreds were injured and missing, around 160 were killed in the country's southern part alone.

Ariel Henry, the prime minister of Haiti, declared a state of emergency for one month, after conducting an aerial survey of earthquake-affected regions.

Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden has approved immediate aid for the earthquake-torn country.

"In what is already a challenging time for the people of Haiti, I am saddened by the devastating earthquake...assess the damage and assist efforts to recover those who were injured and those who must now rebuild."

Joe Biden, US President