A magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck Haiti, an island country in the Caribbean Sea.
At least 227 people have been killed, Reuters reported, citing Haiti authorities.
As the counting is in progress and aftershocks of magnitude 4-5 are continuing, the scale of the damage is expected to increase.
According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), yesterday (14th) around 8:29 a.m., a magnitude 7.2 earthquake occurred 13.5 km southeast of Petitrudnif in western Haiti.
The earthquake was also detected in neighboring Dominican Republic and Jamaica.
Haiti Prime Minister Ariel Henri has declared a one-month state of emergency.
Prime Minister Henri said the earthquake "has caused a lot of loss of life and property damage in various areas" and that "we will mobilize all government resources to help the victims".
There are about 150 Koreans living in Haiti, including Korean corporate employees, self-employed people, and missionaries, but it is reported that no damage has been confirmed so far.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, most Koreans live in the capital, Port-au-Prince, more than 100 kilometers from the epicenter.
In 2010, a 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti, killing at least 220,000 and as many as 300,000 people.
About a third of the population has been reduced to the victims, and it is said that restoration has not been completed even after 10 years.
The U.S. Geological Survey, which first detected and announced the earthquake, said that "the death toll is likely to rise" and that "a wide-ranging catastrophe is expected."
Further damage is expected as Tropical Storm Grace is moving towards Haiti in the Atlantic Ocean.
(Photo = AP, Yonhap News)