2 Dead, Homes Damaged as Earthquakes Hit Southern Haiti

 Sean Breslin

Published: January 25, 2022

At least two people were killed and hundreds of homes were damaged after a pair of earthquakes struck Haiti Monday morning.

The tremors struck the southern peninsula of the country. The main quake struck at 8:16 a.m. local time and was given a preliminary rating of 5.3, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The largest aftershock came about an hour later and was rated 5.1.

Residents reportedly ran into the streets as the shaking began, and schools were closed for the rest of the day as a precaution, according to the Associated Press.

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One of the victims died in a landslide at a salt mine, Yves Bossé, an elected official for the southern department of Nippes, told the AP. He added that many businesses closed for the day following the temblors.

"People are scared to go back into their homes," Bossé also told the AP.

Dozens of schoolchildren were injured and nearly 800 homes were damaged or destroyed by the quakes, the AP reported, citing Haiti's civil protection agency.

The earthquake struck just 12 days after the nation marked the 12-year anniversary of a magnitude-7 earthquake that struck Haiti, killing more than 200,000 people. This same region was severely damaged by a magnitude-7.2 quake on Aug. 14, and more than 2,000 people were killed.

The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.

The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.