Haiti remembers the earthquake as one of its worst nightmares

The city of Port-au-Prince is still showing effects of the 7.0-magnitude earthquake, the most devastating earthquake to hit Haiti since records were kept, which injured more than 350,000 people and displaced 1.5 million, according to government figures.

The earthquake shook strongly at 4:53 pm local time, and the presidential palace, parliament, cathedral, hundreds of thousands of homes, government buildings, shopping malls, schools, health institutions, and others fell like dominoes.

It has been 14 years, and there are many who believe that a similar incident could happen in the country at any time, considering that the Caribbean nation recorded 69 earthquakes per month in 2023 for a total of 828, a number lower than in 2022 when 1,451 earthquakes were reported. .

According to the Technical Seismic Unit, seismic activity was detected in 10 provinces of the country with a magnitude ranging between 0.6 and 5.5 on the Richter scale.

The note highlights that “the number of earthquakes was highest in January and February, and lowest in July and August,” with strengths ranging from very minor to moderate.

The agency warned that a major earthquake could affect the country, possibly accompanied by a tsunami.

Given the location of the coasts of Haiti near Cuba, Jamaica and the northern coast of the Dominican Republic, earthquakes coming from these areas could have repercussions on the national territory.

The entity's statement stated that these disturbing movements could generate a state of panic, loss of life and material damage, given the great vulnerability that the Caribbean country suffers from.

rgh/jo