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Home • News

Haiti Hit By Series Of Earthquakes

A series of moderately sized earthquakes hit southern Haiti, killing 2.
Haiti Hit By Series Of Earthquakes
Photo by Georges H Rouzier/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
By Malaika Jabali · Updated January 24, 2022
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An earthquake struck Haiti Monday morning, followed by smaller tremors.

The Associated Press reports that two people were killed. Numerous others were wounded and several houses have been damaged, Al Jazeera reported.

The first earthquake, of 5.3 magnitude, hit 124 miles west of Port-au-Prince in the city of Les Cayes.

Les Cayes was also hit last August as part of a 7.2 magnitude earthquake that killed over 2,000 people and injured 12,200 more.

Last year, landslides and flooding caused additional damage, which complicated disaster relief efforts.

A series of other crises have affected the island nation, from mistreatment of Haitian migrants at the U.S./Mexico border, to deepened hunger and poverty, and a rise in violent crime.

In December, due to gas shortages, people gathered around a fuel tanker to collect gas that was leaking from the vehicle. The tanker exploded, killing at least 71 people.

Damage from the latest tremors is said to be “minimal.” As Al Jazeera reported, “Sylvera Guillame, director of Haiti’s civil protection agency for the country’s southern region, told The Associated Press that the shallow quakes caused panic. He said schools in the area closed and sent children home as a precaution.”

TOPICS:  Haiti Haiti earthquakes