The death toll from a powerful magnitude 7.2 earthquake in Haiti has climbed sharply, with at least 1,297 dead and more than 5,700 injured.
The updated figures from Haiti’s office of civil protection follow a previous count of 724 dead.
People in the Caribbean nation rushed into the streets to seek safety and to help rescue those trapped in the rubble of collapsed homes, hotels and other structures.
Saturday’s earthquake struck the south-western part of the poor nation, almost razing some towns and triggering landslides that hampered rescue efforts in two of the hardest-hit communities.
The disaster added to the plight of Haitians who were already grappling with the coronavirus pandemic, a presidential assassination and a wave of gang violence.
The epicentre of the quake was about 78 miles west of the capital of Port-au-Prince, the US Geological Survey said. The widespread damage could worsen by early next week, with tropical storm Grace predicted to reach Haiti late on Monday or early Tuesday, bringing torrential rains.
Aftershocks were felt throughout the day and through the night. Many people left homeless or frightened that their fractured homes would collapse stayed in the streets to sleep – if their nerves allowed.
In the badly damaged coastal town of Les Cayes, some families salvaged their few belongings and spent the night at an open-air football pitch. On Sunday morning, people lined up to buy what little was available: bananas, avocados and water at a local street market.
The prime minister, Ariel Henry, said he was rushing aid to areas where towns were destroyed and hospitals overwhelmed with patients. A former senator rented a private plane to move injured people from Les Cayes to Port-au-Prince for medical assistance.
Henry declared a one-month state of emergency for the whole country and said he would not ask for international help until the extent of damage was known. “The most important thing is to recover as many survivors as possible under the rubble,” said Henry. “We have learned that the local hospitals, in particular that of Les Cayes, are overwhelmed with wounded, fractured people.”
Rescue workers and bystanders were able to pull many people to safety.
Chandler said a partial survey of structural damage found at least 860 destroyed homes and more than 700 damaged. Hospitals, schools, offices and churches were also affected.