Haiti : The 7.2-magnitude quake hit the west of the country on Saturday morning, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). Images on social media showed buildings reduced to rubble.
The prime minister said it had caused “several” deaths and “enormous damage”, though the exact toll remains unclear.
Haiti is still recovering from a devastating 2010 earthquake, which killed more than 200,000 people.
The epicentre of Saturday’s earthquake was about 12km (7.5 miles) from the town of Saint-Louis du Sud.
The tremor was felt in the densely-populated capital of Port-au-Prince, some 125km away, and in neighbouring countries.
In a series of tweets, Prime Minister Ariel Henry said he had mobilised a team to work on the relief effort, and sent condolences to those affected.
The USGS earlier warned that the earthquake could result in thousands of fatalities and injuries.
Frantz Duval, editor-in-chief of Haiti’s Le Nouvelliste newspaper, tweeted that two hotels were among the buildings destroyed in the town of Les Cayes. He said the local hospital was overwhelmed.
BBC
