United Nations, January 13: Thousands of people were feared dead after a powerful earthquake measuring 7.0 rocked the impoverished Caribbean nation of Haiti last night, toppling buildings and causing widespread damage and panic.
The United Nations headquarters was one of scores of buildings that were toppled, including the presidential palace,government buildings and a cathedral. Roads and bridges also lay in ruins.
Communications were widely disrupted, making it impossible to get a clear picture of the damage as violent aftershocks shook the country, where many buildings are flimsy. Electricity was lost in some places.
Karel Zelenka, a Catholic Relief Services representative in the capital, Port-au-Prince, told American colleagues before the phone line went dead that “there must be thousands of people dead”. Sara Fajardo, a spokeswoman for the aid group, based in Maryland, said: “He reported that it was just total disaster and chaos, that there were clouds of dust surrounding Port-au-Prince.”
A local member of the UN staff in Port au Prince said: “The headquarters of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti has been destroyed in large part. There are numerous people underneath the rubble, both dead and injured.”
A tsunami alert for the Caribbean region was issued immediately after the earthquake struck at 9.53pm GMT. Minutes after the initial tremor, there were two aftershocks, measuring 5.9 and 5.5.
“I think it’s really a catastrophe of major proportions,” said Raymond Joseph, Haitian Ambassador to the United States. The US Geological Survey said that the epicentre of the earthquake was 16km (10 miles) from Port-au-Prince, which has a population of 2.5 million.
Joseph Delva, a reporter in Pétionville, an affluent suburb, said that one three-storey building was toppled and a tractor was at the scene trying to dig out victims.
“Everything started shaking, people were screaming, houses started collapsing . . . it’s total chaos,” he said.
In New York, UN chief Ban Ki-moon spoke of his concern for the local UN mission, which has been in Haiti since 2004.
“My heart goes out to the people of Haiti after this devastating earthquake,” said Mr Ban. “At this time of tragedy, I am very concerned for the people of Haiti and also for the many United Nations staff who serve there.”
Tom Jordan, an earthquake expert at the University of Southern California, said that the earthquake’s size and proximity to the capital had probably caused widespread casualties. “It’s going to be a real killer,” he said.
Henry Bahn, a US Department of Agriculture official visiting Port-au-Prince, said that he was walking to his hotel room when the ground began to shake.
“I just held on and bounced across the wall,” he said. “I just heard a tremendous amount of noise and shouting and screaming in the distance. The sky is just grey with dust.”
Mr Bahn said there were rocks strewn about and he saw a ravine where several homes had stood: “It’s just full of collapsed walls and rubble and barbed wire.”
In Thomassin, just outside Port-au-Prince, Alain Denis said that neighbours had told him that the only road to the capital had been cut and that the phones were all dead.
President Obama said the United States stood ready to help.
“My thoughts and prayers go out to those who have been affected by this earthquake,” he said. “We are closely monitoring the situation and we stand ready to assist the people of Haiti.”
—-Agencies