Haiti earthquake toll soars tops 1,200, over 5,000 injured

On Aug 16, 2021

HAITI: The death toll from a 7.2-magnitude earthquake in Haiti climbed to 1,297 on Sunday, a day after the powerful temblor turned thousands of structures into rubble and set off frantic rescue efforts ahead of a potential deluge from an approaching tropical storm.

Saturday’s earthquake also left at least 5,700 people injured in the Caribbean nation, with thousands more displaced from their destroyed or damaged homes.

Survivors in some areas were forced to wait out in the open amid oppressive heat for help from overloaded hospitals.

The epicenter was about 125 kilometers (78 miles) west of the capital of Port-au-Prince, the US Geological Survey said, and aftershocks continued to jolt the area Sunday.

– INDIA TODAY