Haiti earthquake death toll rises to 724

Aug. 15 (UPI) -- More than 700 people were confirmed dead Sunday after a magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck Haiti on Saturday morning.

Haiti's Office of Civil Protection said in an update Sunday that the death toll in the quake had risen to 724, including 500 in the southern part of the country, 122 in Nippes on the central southern coast, 100 in the Grand'Anse department on its far eastern tip and two in the northeast.

"Several teams of specialists from other departments of the country have arrived on the site to help our victims," the agency said.

The quake struck about 7.5 miles northeast of Saint-Louis-du-Sud and was about 6.2 miles deep. A 5.2-magnitude aftershock occurred about 12 miles west-northwest of Cavaillon.

Many hospitals and clinics in the country were damaged, and officials in Les Cayes told The New York Times they believe there are only about 30 doctors available to treat about 1 million people.

"I have 30 people in serious condition waiting for me but I only have seven seats," said Herve Foucand, a former senator who was using his small propeller plane to transport people to Haiti's capital.

The primary supermarket and other smaller food and supply markets in Les Cayes also collapsed, leaving about half a million people lacking supplies.

The U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center reported Saturday that a tsunami is not expected for the region but Tropical Storm Grace was traveling through the area and was expected to impact Haiti.

Haiti has also been grappling with political unrest in the aftermath of the assassination of its President Jovenel Moise, 53, on July 7, by gunmen in his home in Port-au-Prince.

On Jan. 12, 2010, a 7.0 earthquake struck Haiti with more than 150,000 bodies buried and several hundred though more homeless.