7.2 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Haiti, More Powerful Than in 2010

After a 7.2-magnitude earthquake hit Haiti on Saturday afternoon, the country's civil protection service reported that at least 225 people had died.

Earthquake in Haiti — A photo shows damaged buildings as people inspect after a 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck the country. Stringer/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Powerful Earthquake Hits Haiti

In a recently published article in The Washington Post, the earthquake occurred around 8:30 a.m. local time, 7.5 miles northeast of Saint-Louis-du-Sud and more than 90 miles west of Port-au-Prince, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

Then, 20 minutes after the initial quake, the island was hit by a 5.2-magnitude earthquake. As the populace suffers from the tragedy, videos from social media show damaged buildings and frightened people screaming. According to the USGS, there are likely to be many fatalities and the catastrophe will be widespread.

On Saturday morning, a massive 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck Haiti, killing hundreds of people and shaking buildings from the Dominican Republic to Jamaica and Cuba, as the international community faced the prospect of a major escalation in the humanitarian crisis already afflicting one of the hemisphere's most troubled countries, according to a published article in Business Insider.

USGS Issued 'Red Alert' After 225 People Died After the Earthquake

According to Haiti's Office of Civil Protection, which oversees disaster assistance, at least 225 people have perished. However, the U.S. Geological Survey, which issued a "red alert" for the catastrophe, predicted that thousands of people might be killed.

Several cities around the Tiburon Peninsula, the country's southern peninsula, reported fatalities, injuries, and panic. Although it is less densely populated than the capital, pictures shared on social media indicate that many more people may be killed. In Les Anglais, which is part of Jeremie in the Grand Anse area, several showed fallen houses and the Catholic church reduced to ruins, according to a report published in Irish Times.

Moreover, the U.S. Tsunami Warning System has predicted "hazardous tsunami waves" along the Haitian coast, with waves reaching up to three meters above the tide level.

Recent Earthquake More Powerful in 2010

Saturday's quake was greater than the catastrophic 2010 quake, which killed more than 220,000 people and prompted international governments and relief organizations to prepare for huge numbers of dead, injured, and homeless people.

Furthermore, the Caribbean country, which shares Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic, is still reeling from the 2010 catastrophe. Following the 2010 earthquake, there were 52 aftershocks, raising the issue of how much harm is yet to come from today's disaster, according to a report published in MSN News.

Meanwhile, the United Nations (UN) estimated in 2017 that 2.5 million Haitians still required assistance seven years after the earthquake that ravaged the nation. Mourad Wahba, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator at the time, provided a grim picture of the country's ongoing difficulties.

Biden and Harris Already Briefed About the Quake

According to a White House source, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were informed on the quake on Saturday morning by National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

The president has ordered an urgent response and has tasked Samantha Power, the head of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), with coordinating relief operations in Haiti.