More than 1,400 dead in Haiti earthquake as severe weather looms

Two days after a 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti and killed at least 1,400 people, the situation is growing even more dire. As rescue efforts continue, the nation could face heavy rains and major flooding as a result of Tropical Depression Grace. 

Video shows the widespread trail of destruction the powerful quake left behind, with homes and buildings reduced to rubble. Now, dozens of search and rescue teams are desperately digging through mountains of debris looking for any signs of survivors. 

Good Samaritans used their bare hands to pull a woman and a young boy to safety after they were buried under a collapsed building. But rescuers are now facing a race against time as the tropical depression threatens to bring more than a foot of rain. 

As the search continues, hospitals are overwhelmed by incoming patients. The epicenter of the earthquake struck near Les Cayes, a coastal town about 80 miles from the capital of Port-au-Prince. Its hospital is now at capacity, and a private plane is now flying patients to the capital. 

People walk over a pile of rubble from a collapsed building after a 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck Haiti on August 16, 2021, in Les Cayes, Haiti.  Richard Pierrin/Getty

Carlande Bernard, who is now being treated for two broken legs, said she was injured by fallen debris as the earthquake hit. She said she started to run when broken concrete fell on her and a man by her side, who was killed. 

The earthquake is another major setback for Haiti, which hasn't fully recovered from the 2010 earthquake that killed an estimated 220,000 people. The nation is also still reeling from the assassination of President Jovenel Moise just over a month ago. 

Despite the tragedies, Haiti's Ambassador to the U.S., Bocchit Edmond, said there's still hope. "We understand the dire situation we are in, but the most important thing is that we will come out of it," he said. 

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