Buildings damaged & collapsed after Haiti hit with ‘major’ 7.2 quake

A magnitude 7.2 earthquake has struck southern Haiti. The major tremor was more powerful than the 2010 quake that devastated the Caribbean nation, and caused significant damage.

The earthquake was reported early on Saturday morning, with the United States Geological Survey putting its intensity at magnitude 7.2, or “major.” The epicenter was 12km (7.5 miles) northeast of Saint-Louis-du-Sud, a town of more than 50,000 inhabitants.

Unconfirmed reports from multiple media outlets suggest several deaths and many injuries.

Severe damage was reported on Haiti, with images from the nearby town of Jeremie showing partially collapsed buildings and rubble-strewn streets.

First images out of #Haiti after a devastating magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck the region this morning.
No tsunami threat for the United States East Coast, Gulf Coast or Caribbean Sea at this time. #earthquake @CBS12 https://t.co/CG1eYSbSrx

— Zach Covey (@ZachCoveyTV) August 14, 2021

Video from Jeremie showed thick clouds of dust filling the streets, as houses lay in ruins.

Signalement de dégâts en province particulièrement dans le Sud d’Haïti.

Les premières images et vidéos de Jérémie et des Cayes montrent des destructions de maisons. pic.twitter.com/OBJssQ9rSs

— Haytien ???????????? (@haytiens) August 14, 2021

Primeras imágenes de los daños en Haití por el poderoso sismo de 7.2.#TerremotoHaití pic.twitter.com/1RbxZKVl6A

— Miguel Torruco Garza (@MiguelTorrucoG) August 14, 2021

Some people posting on social media reported feeling the quake as far away as Jamaica, and the US Tsunami Warning Centers issued a tsunami threat shortly afterwards.

The quake struck minutes after a magnitude 6.9 earthquake shook the Alaska Peninsula. However, the Alaskan quake hit a much more sparsely populated region, where the potential for damage was far lower.

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