Report two deaths in earthquakes that shake southern Haiti | Earthquake News

Several injured and houses damaged by an earthquake of magnitude 5.3 and a series of smaller tremors, says the civil protection agency.

A 5.3-magnitude earthquake and a series of smaller tremors have hit southwestern Haiti, killing at least two people, sending panicked residents into the streets and forcing authorities to close schools.

The US Geological Survey said the first quake struck Monday morning near the town of Les Cayes, about 200 kilometers (124 miles) west of the capital Port-au-Prince, followed by 4-magnitude tremors. 4 and 5.1.

Two people were killed, The Associated Press and AFP news agencies reported, citing Haiti’s civil protection agency.

AFP said one man was killed when a wall collapsed in Anse-a-Veau, a small coastal town 130 kilometers (80 miles) from Port-au-Prince, while a second man was killed in a landslide in Fond-des-Negres. , 20 km (12 miles) further south.

Numerous people were also injured in Fond-des-Negres, while several houses were damaged.

Notable earthquake, preliminary information: M 5.3 – 3 km SSE of Anse-à-Veau, Haiti https://t.co/kjAIPwmKvA

— USGS Earthquakes (@USGS_Quakes) January 24, 2022

Southern Haiti was devastated by a 7.2-magnitude earthquake in August that destroyed tens of thousands of homes and left families sleeping rough in torrential rain.

The Caribbean nation is still recovering from a 2010 earthquake that killed more than 200,000 people.

The country is also recovering from a protracted political conflict that was exacerbated when President Jovenel Moise was assassinated in his home in July last year.

Since then, armed gangs have strengthened their control over the island and have increased deadly violence and kidnappings.

On Friday, Canada hosted a virtual meeting on Haiti that included representatives from 19 countries. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said “immediate action” was needed to address the security situation in the country and pledged an additional $39 million in aid.

A donor conference is also scheduled for February, with the United States and other nations expected to make additional donations.

Armed gangs tightened their grip on Haiti after the assassination of President Jovenel Moise last year [File: Odelyn Joseph/AP Photo]

Meanwhile, Jean Robert Leger, a resident of the town of Pestel in the south of the peninsula, said the impact of Monday’s earthquake appeared to be minimal.

“In Pestel, there is not so much damage,” he told the Reuters news agency by telephone. “We see that the houses by the sea that were already damaged have collapsed a little more.”

Children ran out of school buildings in Les Cayes and “people were terrified”, although there was no damage, according to a resident.

Sylvera Guillame, director of Haiti’s civil protection agency for the country’s southern region, told The Associated Press that the shallow earthquakes caused panic. He said schools in the area have closed and sent children home as a precaution.