Death toll from Haiti earthquake is over 700

People search through the rubble of the Manguier Hotel after the earthquake on August 14, in Les Cayes. Pic/AFP

The death toll from a powerful magnitude 7.2 earthquake in Haiti climbed sharply on Sunday, with at least 724 dead and a minimum of 2,800 injured.

The updated figures from Haiti's Office of Civil Protection follow a previous count of 304 dead. The office's director, Jerry Chandler, said rescuers are continuing to search for possible survivors under the rubble.

People in the Caribbean island nation rushed into the streets to seek safety and to help rescue those trapped in the rubble of collapsed homes, hotels and other structures.

Saturday's earthquake struck the southwestern part of the hemisphere's poorest nation, almost razing some towns and triggering landslides that hampered rescue efforts in two of the hardest-hit communities. The disaster added to the plight of Haitians who were already grappling with the coronavirus pandemic, a presidential assassination and a wave of gang violence.

The epicenter of the quake was about 125 kilometers (78 miles) west of the capital of Port-au-Prince, the US Geological Survey said. The widespread damage could worsen by early next week, with Tropical Storm Grace predicted to reach Haiti late Monday or early Tuesday, bringing torrential rains. Aftershocks were felt throughout the day and night, when many people now homeless or frightened by the possibility of their fractured homes collapsing on them stayed in the streets to sleep if their nerves allowed.

724
No. of people killed in the earthquake