PORT-AU-PRINCE – Officials in Haiti have confirmed that at least 1,297 people are dead after a powerful 7.2-magnitude earthquake hit the Caribbean nation on Saturday.
Rescuers are picking through rubble in a desperate search for any survivors.
Homes, churches, and schools were among buildings flattened in the quake. Some hospitals were left overwhelmed and in need of supplies.
An unknown number of people are missing, and about 5,700 have were injured, officials said.
The disaster compounds problems facing the impoverished nation, which is already reeling from a political crisis following the assassination of its president last month.
The southwest of Haiti appeared to have suffered the worst of the damage, especially around Les Cayes.
According to the United States Geological Survey, the epicenter of Saturday’s quake was about 12 kilometers from the town of Saint-Louis du Sud.(BBC)
