With tropical storm looming, the race is on to find survivors of Haiti's 7.2-magnitude earthquake
At least 1,297 people were killed and more than 5,700 injured in Saturday's 7.2-magnitude earthquake that hit Haiti, officials announced on Sunday evening.
The death toll nearly doubled since the last update from authorities. The quake was centered in southwestern Haiti, and caused the destruction of homes, hospitals, schools, churches, and office buildings, authorities said. Search and rescue teams are working overtime to try to find survivors in the rubble, as Tropical Storm Grace is expected to reach Haiti late Monday or early Tuesday.
Prime Minister Ariel Henry has declared a one month state of emergency, and said as soon as the government knows the full extent of the damage, it will ask for international help. "The most important thing is to recover as many survivors as possible under the rubble," he said.
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This is the latest devastation to hit the impoverished country, which still hasn't recovered from the 2010 earthquake that killed an estimated 200,000 people. In 2021 alone, Haiti has dealt with the coronavirus pandemic, a surge of gang violence, and the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse.
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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
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