More than 300 dead, hundreds injured and missing in Haiti's 7.2-magnitude earthquake

Weather of Arabia - In a tragic event in Haiti, the Caribbean country already mired in deep humanitarian and political crises, at least 304 people were killed, 1,800 others injured and hundreds missing after a 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck Haiti. The earthquake turned churches, hotels and homes into ruins.

In the details: A strong earthquake was felt in the Caribbean yesterday, Saturday (August 14), which struck southwest Haiti at 8.29 am local time, reviving painful memories of the devastating 2010 earthquake that killed more than 200,000 people.

The prime minister, Ariel Henry, declared a month-long state of emergency, with the exact extent of the devastation not yet counted but some towns almost completely destroyed, local hospitals overwhelmed with wounded and injured, and hundreds still under the rubble.

US President Joe Biden allowed an immediate response and appointed Samantha Power as the senior official coordinating US efforts to help Haiti. Describing the United States as a "close and enduring friend of the people of Haiti," Biden said, the USAID would help assess the damage and help rebuild. A growing number of countries have offered assistance, including Argentina and Chile, which have said they are preparing to send humanitarian aid.

Reportedly among the dead was former Senator Gabriel Fortuny, whose body was reportedly recovered from a collapsed hotel in the coastal town of Les Cayes.