Member Since: 1/14/2007
Posts: 6,202
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Second 6.1 magnitude earthquake (pretty much an aftershock) hit Haiti just a few hours ago this morning.
Quote:
(Jan. 20) -- A 6.1-magnitude aftershock rattled Haiti early Wednesday morning, shaking already-unstable buildings and sparking panic among the many homeless survivors of last week's devastating quake.
The new quake hit at 6:03 a.m. (1103 GMT) about 35 miles (56 kilometers) northwest of the capital of Port-au-Prince, the U.S. Geological Survey said. The tremor was the strongest aftershock since the debilitating 7.0-magnitude earthquake that struck the island nation Jan. 12.
The aftershock sent Haitians sleeping in the streets or living in "tent cities" around Port-au-Prince running away from crumbling buildings, according to a Reuters report. A nurse at a hospital near the capital told CNN that patients began to pray as the ground shook. The extent of the damage remains unclear.
The devastation from last week's earthquake continues to loom over Haiti, where an estimated 200,000 people died and another 250,000 were injured. The approximate 1.5 million people rendered homeless remain in dire need.
"We need so much. Food, clothes, we need everything. I don't know whose responsibility it is, but they need to give us something soon," Sophia Eltime, a homeless 29-year-old mother of two, told the Associated Press.
The U.S. Naval Ship Comfort, a hospital vessel, is expected to port in Haiti Wednesday, allowing injured victims to be ferried aboard. The U.S. State Department said at least two patients were flown to the hospital ship via helicopter as it made its way to Haiti.
The Comfort is carrying nearly 550 doctors, nurses, corpsmen, technicians and support staff, according to the U.S. Southern Command. The ship houses six operating rooms and can accommodate up to 1,000 patients.
The ship's arrival comes a day after U.S. troops landed on the grounds of the Presidential Palace, hoping to help reinforce U.N. peacekeeping forces and secure a chaotic Port-au-Prince.
The increased military presence incites conflicted emotions for Haiti, a nation with a long history of foreign intervention, including a nearly-20 year U.S. military occupation following revolts in the early years of the 20th century.
When Haitian President René Préval met with religious and business leaders to discuss the military intervention, many expressed their support – as long as the troops don't overstay their welcome.
"They said, 'Yes - as long as it's temporary,' " Bishop Jean-Zache Duracin of Haiti's Episcopal Church, who attended the meeting, told the New York Times. "We have no choice because the government has collapsed."
Reports said Préval is meeting with government leaders, attempting to organize the influx of foreign aid and manage the desperate situation of his people – many of whom are living in the streets.
The Times said Haiti's president plans to address the people of Haiti soon.
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http://www.sphere.com/2010/01/20/aft...%2F19323804%2F
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How so?