Haiti Earthquake: Death Toll Hits 1.4K; U.S. to Send Aerial Support

The death toll on the recent Haiti earthquake continues to climb as rescue workers rushed to locate survivors from the tragedy that happened on Saturday, Aug. 15.

Since then, other nations have stepped up to help following the devastating quake that rattled Haiti and its people.

Death Toll on Haiti Earthquake Climbs

At least 1,419 deaths were recorded following the 7.2 magnitude quake, BBC reported. Meanwhile, more than 6,900 injured individuals were reported, while an unknown number of victims were still missing.

The southwest of Haiti, especially the area around the city of Les Cayes, appeared to be the most affected by the earthquake.

According to reports, homes, churches, and schools were among the infrastructures affected by the tremors.

The earthquake overwhelmed healthcare facilities, prompting some of the hospitals in the country to move their patients outside the hospitals. One of the healthcare facilities that made the movement was the Les Cayes Ofatma Hospital. The people working at the hospital feared that their building was unsafe following the tremors.

Following the incident, Prime Minister Ariel Henry declared a state of emergency for a month. Henry also urged the citizens of Haiti to show solidarity amid the tragic incident in their country. Furthermore, Prime Minister Henry visited the areas widely affected by the natural phenomenon, including towns and hospitals.

The U.S. to Send Aerial Support to Haiti Following 7.2 magnitude Earthquake

The U.S. offered their support to Haiti, as the country's military southern command would send at least eight helicopters to act as support and aid in the country's disaster relief efforts.

The helicopters to be sent by the southern command will be composed of five UH-60 Black Hawks and three CH-47 Chinooks. The eight helicopters, which will be from the Joint Task Force-Bravo based in Honduras, were expected to arrive in Haiti as early as this evening.

However, the arrival might be delayed depending on the weather conditions.

"The safety of our aircrews is paramount, so if weather conditions this evening are not safe enough for flight operations, their scheduled arrival in Haiti may be delayed," said the official, noting that the delay would be effective until the weather conditions would be good enough for flight operations.

Furthermore, the spokesman also noted that the focus of the aerial support from the southern command is to engage in lifesaving and assessment support the foreign disaster assistance effort led by the U.S. Agency for International Development.

It can be recalled that President Joe Biden tapped USAID Administrator Samantha Power as the senior U.S. official who would supervise and oversee the efforts of the United States to help Haiti.

It was not the first time the U.S. extended its help with Haiti. In 2010, The U.S. sent troops to the country, after it was hit with a 7.0 magnitude earthquake that left at least 3,000 people dead. Meanwhile, a Seismologist from the USGS said that the recent tremor in the country was connected to the one that occurred in 2010.

This article is owned by Latin Post

Written By: Joshua Summers

WATCH: Drone Video Captures Damage From Deadly Haiti Earthquake