Following a 7.0 earthquake that hit Haiti today at 4:57 p.m., we understand that:
1) There is mass devastation
2) They are still experiencing aftershocks as high as 5.9 on the Richter Scale and these will continue for a few more days.
We are told that buildings came crashing down (including a hospital) and that people have remained in the street, away from buildings, to ensure their safety.
We understand that the Digicel building there stood firm. (Digicel is a Jamaican-based mobile telecommunications firm with offices in the Caribbean, Latin America and the South Pacific).
There is no word tonight of Jamaicans in Haiti - including the Digicel employees, there.
One employee spoke with his girlfriend here in Jamaica, to inquire if we felt the quake here...we did...only as high as 4.4, however, according to the Earthquake Unit at the University of the West Indies. (The quake was felt in the Eastern parishes of Portland, St. Thomas and Kingston in Jamaica).
Nationwide Radio (a local radio station here), was trying to contact the Digicel employee following a telephone interview with his girlfriend, but they haven't been able to contact him - this is usual however, after an earthquake, as telephone systems (wireless and land-line) are down.
He was one of two engineers there working on a Digicel UPS system ...they were abandoned by their chaperones after the quake hit.
The tsunami watch that was in effect for the northern Caribbean islands of Haiti, Cuba, the Bahamas and the Dominican Republic (which is situated on the same land mass as Haiti - Hispaniola), is now off.
We understand that Caricom (the Caribbean Community) will be sending aid workers to Haiti to assist with rescue efforts there and to offer humanitarian aid to Haiti.
The USA has also offered humanitarian aid to Haiti. (Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere).
We in Jamaica are in deep sympathy for the families of those who have lost their lives and are injured and we continue to pray for the safety of our Haitian brothers and sisters and others based in Haiti.
GWAP Blog will keep you updated as soon as we get more information.
( I would like to thank Daniel Slaughter for the use of his Flickr inset photo entitled, "Map of Caribbean Path/Map" showing the Northern Caribbean and the island of Hispaniola above the word "Sea" in "Caribbean Sea").
Gillian
Sources Include
1) Television Jamaica's Nightly News at 10:30 p.m., January 12,2010
2) Nationwide Radio's Evening Programme,"Cover Story" at 5:30 p.m., January 12,2010
