Shortly after a powerful 7.2 magnitude earthquake hit a port city in southwestern Haiti, residents took to the streets in search of casualties.
A video posted online from Miami news website “One Show Pam” shows dozens of residents of Les Cayes wandering through shattered homes and a hotel, combing through debris and rubble in a frantic search for loved ones.
The back of the residence of a Catholic bishop is damaged after an earthquake in Les Cayes, Haiti. Delot Jean/AP
Petit Pas Hotel is damaged after the earthquake in Les Cayes, Haiti. Delot Jean/AP
Mayor Jean Gabriel Fortuné is among the victims of the earthquake. Facebook
A view of the damage caused by a 7.2 magnitude earthquake in Los Cayos, Haiti. EPA
People stand outside the residence of the Catholic bishop following the powerful earthquake in Haiti. Delot Jean/APThe quake has left at least 304 dead, and hospitals in the city of nearly 87,000 people overwhelmed with wounded, according to Haitian news reports.
Among the dead is former Haitian senator and mayor of Les Cayes, Gabriel Fortune. His body was found in the rubble of the Le Manguier hotel, which he owned.
Haitian prime minister Ariel Henry, who was sworn into the position last month, has declared a month-long state of emergency.
Rescue workers and volunteers carry out survivors from a rubble in Los Cayos, Haiti on August 14, 2021. EPA/Ralph Tedy Erol
Earthquake victims arrive at the airport in Port-au-Prince, Haiti in an ambulance on August 14, 2021. AP Photo/Joseph Odelyn
Men carry off a survivor from the earthquake rubble in Les Cayes, Haiti on August 14, 2021. AP Photo/Duples Plymouth
A victim’s body is partially covered in debris following the deadly earthquake in Les Cayes, Haiti on August 14, 2021. AP Photo/Duples Plymouth