Haitian Capital a "total disaster and chaos", likely thousands dead

[cali]

7.0 quake leaves Haiti capital in 'total disaster and chaos'
People wail from the rubble across Port-au-Prince, where a hospital reportedly collapsed and bodies lie in the streets. One aid official estimates 'there must be thousands of people dead.'
Haiti


By Tracy Wilkinson

January 12, 2010 | 6:05 p.m.

Reporting from Mexico City - A mighty earthquake rocked the tiny, impoverished island nation of Haiti today, collapsing a hospital, the presidential palace and other buildings and triggering what one diplomat called a "catastrophe."

As night fell on the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince and other towns, reports of extensive destruction were trickling out. Tsunami alerts were issued for Cuba, the Bahamas and much of the Caribbean.

The quake, one of the most powerful ever in the region -- measuring a preliminary magnitude of 7.0 and centered about 10 miles west of Port-au-Prince, a city of 2 million -- had a shallow depth of just five miles. It struck at 4:53 p.m., followed by several strong aftershocks.

All of that augured vast damage and overwhelming casualties. Electricity was out tonight through the darkened capital, phone lines were down, and the airport was shut. Screams for help seeped from felled buildings, and chaos reigned.

"I can hear very distressed people . . . a lot of distress, people wailing, trying to find loved ones trapped under the rubble," Ian Rodgers, with Save the Children in Port-au-Prince, told CNN by telephone.

<snip>

http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-fg-haiti-quake13-2010jan13,0,7871308.story

[tekisui]

1. knr

[Mimosa]

2. I hope the facts come out differently as after Katrina

As somebody who vacated NOLA during Katrina, I hope this report is equally exaggerated. The first reports supposedly out of New orleans said 10,000 or more dead. That did not happen.

[cali]

4. I hope so too, but I'm afraid the odds are against it

This was a very major earthquake in a city with thousands of structures not able to withstand such a powerful earthquake. Unlike Katrina there was no advance notice and people were not able to leave.

[malaise]

3. I'm watching video on BBC

unfuggingbelievable. You should see the Presidential palace

[cali]

5. I'm watching too. It's really horrific.

[greatauntoftriplets]

8. I visited Haiti many years ago....

I well remember the presidential palace. Is there any word on the cathedral? That was quite an impressive building, too.

[malaise]

10. The cathedral was damaged but BBC hasn't shown us pics yet

The Palace is pretty bad.

[greatauntoftriplets]

12. I'm watching local Chicago news and it's the lead story here.

They showed a few photos, but not much. Now they are interviewing a local Haitian-American.

A fascinating country. I'm happy to have been there.

[malaise]

19. BBC has the best coverage n/t

[greatauntoftriplets]

20. I'm sure it does, but I don't get it.

:shrug:

[greatauntoftriplets]

22. On edit.

Stupid double post.

[cbdo2007]

6. Praying for them all now...

[Warpy]

7. There are some people managing to post on Twitter

I'm following @RAMhaiti, his information seems to be good, although in a completely darkened city with no lights, no power, few streets passable, and no other infrastructure, his information is as limited as everybody else's has been.

Haiti has little infrastructure under the best of conditions. Tonight they have none: no water, no power, no food, no transit, little communication.

I just hope relief efforts will be organized through the night so that the survivors will continue to do so.

[cali]

11. USAID sending teams in as we speak

[Scurrilous]

9. K & R

:thumbsup:

[HughMoran]

13. The video of the scene looks horrific

:(

[tekisui]

14. Picture of collapsed National Palace:

http://www.haitifeed.com/?p=894

[cali]

15. shocking n/t

[greatauntoftriplets]

17. Oh my God.....

The damage is horrific.

[GreenPartyVoter]

18. The poor people who were in there. And some may still be alive and waiting for help!

:cry:

[Canuckistanian]

16. Oh, man

As if Haiti and Port-au-Prince didn't have enough problems already. They've seen military coups, starvations and destructive storms. Not to mention staggering poverty.

Now this.

I hope that international relief efforts come through quickly.

[Gregorian]

21. There's a website with first pictures and streaming. But it's too disturbing to post.

Just horrible. I'm so saddened by their horrific loss. Damn :(

[tekisui]

24. I have been looking at those and they are horrific.

[Gregorian]

26. The human condition is so fragile. We should all be working together. We're in this together.

We've been on this website for years, just trying to understand why people aren't compassionate, caring, and in unison.

Sometimes there's nothing to do but pray that there is a higher power. That, and good civil engineers. People shouldn't have to build with dangerous practices. Those poor people. It's too late to help some of them now. Damn.

[Mojorabbit]

28. What website is that? nt

[RoyGBiv]

23. 20 Aftershocks ...

... as of this posting, none smaller than 4.2.

[pitohui]

25. good lord why can't you cut these people a fucking break?

very sad, it just seems like the blows never stop coming...

[Odin2005]

27. My God, this will send the country right back into chaos.

Poor Haiti! :cry:

[apocalypsehow]

29. Kick & Rec for more folks to see the terrible catastrophe unfolding there. I hope relief efforts are

on their way from our country and the rest of the world.

[CBR]

30. Pics via Twitter...

http://twitpic.com/photos/photomorel

[NRaleighLiberal]

31. Pictures starting to get posted here - Facebook page for the earthquake

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=252988675717

Check the photos on lower left of page. Looks just incredibly horrible. Praying for the people there.

[tekisui]

32. Another pic: