Haiti quake toll rises to 15 — gov’t
PORT DE PAIX, Haiti (AFP) — A 5.9-magnitude earthquake that struck off the northwest coast of Haiti at the weekend has killed at least 15 people, authorities said Monday, increasing the previous toll by three.
Centred 12 miles (19 kilometres) northwest of the city of Port-de-Paix, it rattled communities across the impoverished country on Saturday, sparking fear among residents still reeling from the massive 2010 earthquake that left at least 200,000 people dead.
“The new toll from the earthquake of October 6, 2018 is up to 15 dead and 333 wounded … More than 7,000 houses have been destroyed or damaged,” the Caribbean nation’s civil protection agency said. A strong aftershock sent panicked residents fleeing into the streets on Sunday in Port-de-Paix, where most of the victims died.
The Nord-Ouest department which includes the coastal city is the poorest part of Haiti, with many areas isolated due to the dire state of the roads.
