Haitian earthquake: in pictures

Friday, January 15, 2010

Video from a US Coast Guard helicopter flying over Port-au-Prince on Wednesday. Please click the image to view it in full size

Haiti was hit by a heavy earthquake with a magnitude of 7.0 on Tuesday, killing an unknown number of people, and destroying up to ten percent of buildings in the capital, Port-au-Prince.

No official death toll has been released as of yet, although the United Nations says that up to fifty thousand people may potentially have been killed. An estimated 300,000 more were left without homes.

In a special photo report, Wikinews looks at the extensive damage caused by the disaster.

To find more information about a certain image or to enlarge it, click it. For an in-depth textual report on the same subject, please see Haiti relief efforts: in depth.

A map indicating the strength of the earthquake, with redder areas being harder hit. The star indicates the epicentre.
Another graphical representation of the earthquake's epicentre. As can be seen, it is very close to the capital, which is home to over an estimated 2.5 million people.
Downtown Port-au-Prince from a bird's-eye perspective. Only a few buildings remain completely intact, most have been either damaged or completely leveled.
Image: UNDP.
Another aerial image of downtown. Rubble lines the city streets.
Image: UNDP.
Makeshift tents set up in a city square.
Image: UNDP.
A man exits a restaurant after looking for his belongings.
Image: UNDP.
The national palace, housing Haitian president Rene Preval, sustained serious damage. Both the president and his wife, however, survived the earthquake.
Image: UNDP.
Another shot of the presidential palace.
Image: UNDP.
Makeshift tents are set up at a soccer field, one of the few areas free from debris
A poor neighbourhood in the capital. Again, most buildings have collapsed or sustained significant damage.
Image: UNDP.
The Hotel Montana, once five storeys tall, now lies in a collapsed heap in Port-au-Prince.
Image: UNDP.
Port-au-Prince harbour after the deadly earthquake. The port was too damaged to receive cargo from aid ships sent to the country.
A shipping container floating in the waters near the seaport.
More damage caused to the seaport
Two US Coast Guard 270-foot cutters sit offshore of Haiti, ready to provide humanitarian aid to the earthquake-ravaged country. However, they had no place to dock since the port was inoperable
An aerial view of the seaport. Note the cargo containers floating out at sea and lopsided cranes.
The UN's Haitian headquarters were heavily damaged by the earthquake; many UN officials are feared trapped under the rubble.
View of the UN headquarters, from a different angle
The US Coast Guard evacuating US personnel from Haiti by a Hercules C-130 airplane.
Haitian civilians receiving assistance in a makeshift camp set up by the Brazilian Army in Port-au-Prince
Image: Agencia Brasil.
Brazilian soldiers in the camp giving medical aid to victims
Image: Agencia Brasil.
Another shot of the impromptu camp
Image: Agencia Brasil.
Brazilian Defense Minister Nelson Jobim and Commander of the Army Enzo Peri board a Brazilian Air Force plane headed to Haiti, to join relief efforts
Image: Agencia Brasil.
United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) peacekeepers trying to find survivors in the wreckage of a building
Image: UNDP.
MINUSTAH members loading an injured person aboard a lorry
US Coast Guard delivering medical supplies by boat
A US Coast Guard member giving a small child a bottle of water in Port-au-Prince
US Army Lieutenant Colonel Hector Paz carrying an injured girl to receive medical treatment after being evacuated from Port-au-Prince
A small boy receiving medical treatment by MINUSTAH members at their logistics base
Image: UNDP.
A body pulled out from the rubble of a school that collapsed after the earthquake
Image: UNDP.
Another body being pulled out of the school
Image: UNDP.
US president Barack Obama in the White House Situation Room, discussing response to the disaster

Have an opinion on this story? Share it!

Related news

"Haiti relief efforts: in depth" — Wikinews, January 15, 2010
"Countries around the world send aid, help to Haiti" — Wikinews, January 14, 2010
"Details emerge in Haiti earthquake; thousands feared dead" — Wikinews, January 13, 2010
"7.0 magnitude earthquake strikes off Haitian coast" — Wikinews, January 12, 2010

Sources

This article is a featured article. It is considered one of the best works of the Wikinews community. See Wikinews:Featured articles for more information.

Wikipedia has more about this subject:

2010 Haiti earthquake

"Haiti quake aid effort hampered by blockages" — BBC News Online, January 15, 2010
"Aid struggles to reach Haitians" — Al Jazeera, January 15, 2010

Share this:

This page is archived, and is no longer publicly editable.

Articles presented on Wikinews reflect the specific time at which they were written and published, and do not attempt to encompass events or knowledge which occur or become known after their publication.

Got a correction? Add the template {{editprotected}} to the talk page along with your corrections, and it will be brought to the attention of the administrators.

Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections.

Note that some listed sources or external links may no longer be available online due to age.