Earthquake in western Haiti kills and injures many

2023-06-06T22:09:13.590Z

Highlights: A new earthquake struck the Grand'Anse region in western Haiti on Tuesday, June 6. According to the latest assessment, there are four deaths and 36 wounded, the city of Jérémie being the most affected. The earthquake occurred shortly after 5am (9am GMT) at a depth of 10 km and about 9 km from the coast in the southwestern peninsula of this Caribbean country regularly hit by destructive earthquakes. The southwestern peninsula had already been ravaged in August 2021 by a powerful earthquake of magnitude 7.2 that killed more than 2,200 people.

Earthquake in western Haiti kills and injures many

A new earthquake struck the Grand'Anse region in western Haiti on Tuesday, June 6. According to the latest assessment, there are four deaths and 36 wounded, the city of Jérémie being the most affected. In Plato, in the suburbs of Jeremiah, some damage has been recorded, but the consequences are serious for the country, which is already facing deadly floods, as well as an extreme security situation and institutional and health crises.

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Residents carry injuries after a house collapses due to an earthquake in Jeremy on June 6, 2023. © Ralph Simon / AP

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The quake – magnitude 4.9 according to the American Geophysical Institute (USGS) and magnitude 5.7 according to the Civil Protection in Haiti – was more strongly felt than last week's.

Three of the dead "are members of the same family and were killed because of the collapse of their house," Christine Monquélé, head of civil protection in the department of Grand'Anse, told AFP.

The earthquake occurred shortly after 5am (9am GMT) at a depth of 10 km and about 9 km from the coast in the southwestern peninsula of this Caribbean country regularly hit by destructive earthquakes.

Michelson lives in Plato, in the commune of Jérémie and describes the state of panic of the inhabitants: "There was the tremor, then there were people who injured themselves running to escape. I have a neighbour, a young man, who threw himself because he was upstairs, and unfortunately, he is hospitalized in Jérémie.

The house he rents was partially destroyed but he and his wife returned the same evening after the earthquake: no choice. As the hurricane period begins, loaded with threats, Michelson still notes the unpreparedness of the authorities: "They know that we are in this period from June to November. But concretely, nothing is being done. Because people are left to their own devices.

This Tuesday, all day, the wounded continued to flock to the Saint-Antoine de Jérémie hospital.

#bilanpartiel #RapportdeSituation3| According to the report of the local authorities of the Civil Protection, following the earthquake that occurred this morning in the region of Grand'Anse, two houses collapsed in Jérémie, causing the death of 4 people and injuring 36 others.

— Pwoteksyon sivil (@Pwoteksyonsivil) June 6, 2023

The southwestern peninsula had already been ravaged in August 2021 by a powerful earthquake of magnitude 7.2 that killed more than 2,200 people and caused the destruction of more than 130,000 homes.

Severe weather also hit the country over the weekend, leaving at least 51 dead, 18 missing and 140 injured, according to a new assessment of the Haitian authorities cited Tuesday by the UN. In addition to these natural disasters, the country is also in the grip of a serious security crisis, being plagued by gang violence, as well as a major economic and health crisis.

Earthquake in western Haiti kills and injures many

Earthquake in western Haiti kills and injures many

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