The death toll from the major earthquake that rocked Haiti on Saturday continued to climb Sunday as rescuers scrambled through widespread wreckage in cities and towns around the Caribbean nation.
Local authorities said at least 1,800 people were injured or remained missing, with the official death toll rising above 300 as of Sunday morning.
The 7.2 magnitude quake struck Haiti, just days before a tropical storm is expected to make landfall. The epicenter of the quake was about 80 miles west of the capital of Port-au-Prince, the U.S. Geological Survey said.
The death toll was initially reported to be in the dozens, but by Sunday it was rising, with Voice of America (VOA) citing officials with Haiti’s civil protection service as saying the toll had climbed into the hundreds.
There also were several aftershocks to the initial quake, VOA reported, noting that Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who took office just three weeks ago after the assassination of President Jovenel Moise, had said the government was mobilizing aid to the affected areas.
“The most important thing is to recover as many survivors as possible under the rubble,” Mr. Henry told The Associated Press.
The prime minister has declared a one-month state of emergency for the whole country. At a press conference Saturday, he said he would not ask for international help until the extent of the damages is known.
Videos posted to social media showed collapsed buildings near the epicenter and people running into the streets.
People in Port-au-Prince felt the tremor and many rushed into the streets in fear, although there did not appear to be damage there.
This article is based in part on wire service reports.
• Guy Taylor can be reached at gtaylor@washingtontimes.com.
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