100s feared dead as 7.0 magnitude quake hits Haiti
Hundreds of people are feared dead after a massive earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale struck the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince at 2153 GMT on Tuesday. A tsunami alert was immediately issued for the Caribbean region, including Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, and the Bahamas, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said. The quake, which lasted for more than a minute, toppled one three-story building in Petionville, AFP reported. A tractor quickly arrived at the scene to dig out victims as people fled onto the streets in panic. Al Jazeera: 'Catastrophic quake' rocks Haiti: Centred about 15km inland, west of the capital Port-au-Prince, Tuesday afternoon's quake caused buildings to collapse and is believed to have left hundreds of people trapped under the rubble. Joseph Guyler Delva, a reporter with the Reuters news agency, said he saw dozens of casualties. "Everything started shaking, people were screaming, houses started collapsing," he said. "It's total chaos." As darkness fell in Port-au-Prince, residents desperately tried to dig out survivors or searched for missing relatives in debris-strewn streets amid chaotic scenes. Examiner: SLIDESHOW: Haiti earthquake causes destruction and devastation (photos) + Quake in Haiti: U.S. Embassy unharmed in powerful magnitude 7 earthquake -VIDEO Kyodo.jp: Several hundred thousand people may have died in the quake. Gainesville Times: Thousands feared dead in Haiti quake; many trapped.