Death toll from Haiti quake rises to 170,000

Haitian President Rene Preval confirmed on January 27 that nearly 170,000 people had died in the earthquake which occurred on January 12 in the country, substantially higher than the previous estimate of 150,000.
Haitian President Rene Preval confirmed on January 27 that nearly 170,000 people had died in the earthquake which occurred on January 12 in the country, substantially higher than the previous estimate of 150,000.

On the same day, the Haitian President suggested that next month's legislative elections in the country be postponed in light of what has happened.

Meanwhile, United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said at least 83 UN staffers had died in the cataclysm and 32 remained unaccounted for.

More than two weeks after the disaster, a French rescue team pulled a 16-year-old Haitian girl alive from under the rubble in Port-au-Prince.

"She just said 'thank you,' she's very weak," said rescue team spokesman Commander Samuel Bernes. The survivor was given first aid and then taken to a French hospital in the capital.

So far, some 135 people have been pulled alive from the ruins in Port-au-Prince since the 7.0-magnitude earthquake, which devastated much of the capital in the worst natural disaster to hit the Americas in history.

At present, countries and international organisations are still making efforts to relieve the victims. The International Monetary Fund said it was rushing 114 million dollars in emergency aid to Haiti for essential imports and to make cash available to banks and transfer houses.

Foreign troops are also helping Haiti in the aftermath and Haitian officials confirmed that the situation in the country has improved. Food has been transported to many areas outside the capital where the earthquake hit hardest, they said./.

See more