Magnitude 5.9 earthquake shakes northern Haiti; deaths reported

Matthew Diebel USA TODAY

Published 7:16 AM EDT Oct 7, 2018

A magnitude 5.9 earthquake shook northwestern Haiti late Saturday, killing as many as 10 people, according to news reports.

The U.S. Geologic Survey said the quake hit at 8:11 p.m. local time and was centered 12 miles northwest of Port-de-Paix on Haiti’s north coast. It was 7.3 miles below the surface.

According to the Miami Herald, at least five of the deaths were registered in the the Port-de-Paix area, said Jerry Chandler, the head of the country’s Civil Protection disaster response unit. The paper also reported two other fatalities.

The magnitude 5.9 quake was one of the strongest to hit the Caribbean nation since a major 7.1 tremor in 2010 killed more than 250,000 people, according to the BBC, which reported the 10 deaths. Impoverished Haiti, where many live in tenuous circumstances, is especially vulnerable to earthquakes.

Meanwhile, the BBC reported that government spokesman Eddy Jackson Alexis said a disaster response task force had been set up.

The country’s civil protection agency issued a statement saying several people were injured and some houses destroyed in Port-de-Paix, Gros Morne, Chansolme and Turtle Island. Among the structures damaged was the Saint-Michel church in Plaisance.

The quake was felt lightly in the capital, Port-au-Prince, the AP reported, as well as in the neighboring Dominican Republic.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Let's block ads! (Why?)