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Powerful quake kills hundreds in Haiti

People in the Caribbean island nation rushed onto the streets for safety and to help rescue those trapped in the rubble.

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A woman stands in front of a destroyed home in the aftermath of an earthquake in Les Cayes, Haiti. [Duples Plymouth/AP Photo]
By AP
Published On 15 Aug 2021

A powerful earthquake has added to Haiti’s woes – killing at least 304 people, injuring 1,800 others, and destroying hundreds of homes.

People rushed onto the streets to seek safety and help rescue those trapped in the rubble of collapsed homes, hotels and other structures.

Saturday’s magnitude 7.2 quake struck the southwest of the Caribbean island nation, razing towns and triggering landslides that hampered rescue efforts in two of the hardest-hit communities.

This latest disaster adds to the plight of Haitians, who were already grappling with the coronavirus pandemic, a presidential assassination, and deepening poverty.

The widespread damage could worsen this week with Tropical Storm Grace predicted to reach Haiti late Monday.

A man uses a sledgehammer to break through the rubble of a home destroyed by the earthquake in Les Cayes. [Joseph Odelyn/AP Photo]
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An aerial view of the Hotel Le Manguier, which was destroyed by the quake in Les Cayes. [Ralph Tedy Erol/AP Photo]
People search for survivors in a home destroyed by the major temblor. [Joseph Odelyn/AP Photo]
At least 860 homes were destroyed and more than 700 damaged. [Joseph Odelyn/AP Photo]
The Catholic bishop's residence lies in ruins after the earthquake in Les Cayes. [Joseph Odelyn/AP Photo]
Southwestern Haiti bore the brunt of the blow. [Joseph Odelyn/AP Photo]
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Access to the worst-hit areas was complicated by a deterioration in law and order that has left key access roads in parts of Haiti in the hands of gangs. [Joseph Odelyn/AP Photo]
People gather outside the Petit Pas Hotel, which was destroyed by the earthquake in Les Cayes. [Joseph Odelyn/AP Photo]
Oxiliene Morency cries out in grief after the body of her seven-year-old-daughter Esther Daniel was recovered from the rubble of their home. [Joseph Odelyn/AP Photo]