At least 29 killed as 7.2-magnitude earthquake hits Haiti

At least 29 people have been killed in a 7.2-magnitude earthquake that struck Haiti, with some towns destroyed and hospitals overwhelmed with wounded people.

The epicenter of the quake was about 125 kilometers (78 miles) west of the capital of Port-au-Prince, the United States Geological Survey says, and widespread damage is reported.

Jerry Chandler, Haiti’s director of civil protection, says that the death toll stands at 29, and that teams are being sent to the area for search-and-rescue missions.

Reports of overwhelmed hospitals come as Haiti struggles with the pandemic and a lack of resources to deal with it.

Just last month, the country of 11 million people received its first batch of  coronavirus vaccines, donated by the US via a United Nations program for low-income countries.