Death Toll in Haiti Earthquake Jumps to 304, Some 1,800 People Injured

A powerful earthquake hit Haiti on Saturday, with its magnitude estimated to be 7.2. The epicenter of the quake was located 160 kilometers (100 miles) from the country's capital city of Port-au-Prince.

The death toll in the Haiti earthquake has risen to 304, with at least 1,800 people being injured, the country's authorities announced on Saturday.

Earlier, Haiti's civil protection service announced that the powerful earthquake had killed 227 people, among them 158 victims in the southern region.

It was also noted that hundreds of people are wounded or missing in wake of the earthquake.

"The first interventions, carried out by both professional rescuers and members of the population, made it possible to extract many people from the rubble. Hospitals continue to receive wounded", the civil protection service said.

2/2 Les premières interventions, menées tant par les sauveteurs professionnels que par des membres de la population ont permis d’extraire de nombreuses personnes des décombres. Les hôpitaux continuent de recevoir des blessés.

— Pwoteksyon sivil (@Pwoteksyonsivil) August 14, 2021

Initially, the authorities estimated the death toll to be 29 people.

US President Joe Biden expressed his condolences to those affected by a massive earthquake in Haiti, stating that he is "saddened" by the disaster, and authorized an "immediate US response".

"I have authorized an immediate US response and named USAID Administrator Samantha Power as the senior US official to coordinate this effort", Biden said in his statement. "Through USAID, we are supporting efforts to assess the damage and assist efforts to recover those who were injured and those who must now rebuild."

The 7.2 magnitude earthquake hit Haiti on Saturday morning, with the epicenter some 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) northeast of Saint-Louis du Sud, or about 160 kilometers (100 miles) from the country's capital city of Port-au-Prince.

Footage shared online showed major damage, with buildings collapsed and infrastructure devastated.