Haiti hit by 5.3 magnitude earthquake

A 5.3 magnitude earthquake has hit the island of Haiti

Haiti has been rocked by another earthquake, only days after the anniversary of the 2010 disaster, which left more than 250,000 people dead. The island’s southern peninsula was rocked again this Monday, January 24, by a 5.3-magnitude earthquake.
According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), the quake occurred at around 8:16 EST, and had its epicentre about 2 miles south-southeast of Anse-a-Veau, in the Nippes region, near the city of Les Cayes. The tremor was also felt in Port-au-Prince, the island’s capital.
A second tremor of 5.1 magnitudes was registered 2.5miles west-southwest of Petite Riviere de Nippes, one hour later. No damage was reported, but according to Reuters, Jerry Chandler, director of Haiti‘s civil protection agency, told the news agency that searches were underway for any victims.
Residents of Les Cayes city rushed out into the streets, and children ran from school buildings, with fresh memories of the huge 7.2 magnitude earthquake that struck them last August. More than 2,200 were killed, and around 137,500 homes were either destroyed or damaged, with residents being forced to sleep outdoors.
Haiti was devastated by a 7.0 magnitude quake back in 2010, where an estimated 316,000 were killed. On January 12, Haitians had marked this tragic memory. Ariel Henry, the tiny country’s Prime Minister, accompanied by other government ministers, had visited a memorial monument to the quake victims, that is topped by a large rock.
In a speech, Mr Henry said, “We still have plenty to rebuild. January 12th did not destroy one house only. It destroyed the economy of the whole country. It’s going to take a long time to go back to the way we were before the quake”.
Billions of dollars in aid were raised worldwide for the island and its infrastructure to be rebuilt following the quake, but Mr Henry claims that nobody has proof of where some of that massive fund went to. More than 100,000 buildings were destroyed, while another 200,000 suffered damage, as reported by independent.co.uk.

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