4.9 Magnitude Earthquake in Haiti Leaves Several Dead, Injured: Aftershocks Possible This Week

A 4.9 magnitude earthquake struck the southern part of Haiti on Tuesday, June 6, leaving several people dead and others injured, according to reports. The quake occurred before dawn near the coastal city of Jeremie located in the southwestern portion of the country.

The incident occurred almost two years after a strong earthquake in the country, resulting in hundreds of casualties. It also follows a deadly quake more than a decade ago, which led to thousands of fatalities and widespread destruction.

Jeremie Earthquake

The recent Haiti earthquake on Tuesday killed at least three people, according to authorities, as cited by ABC News. There were no reported tsunami warnings or tsunami alerts at this time. However, aftershocks are possible in and around Haiti in the coming hours and days.

The victims were found under collapsed debris inside a house, according to Frankel Maginaire from Haiti's Civil Protection Agency in Jeremi, who told The Associated Press, ABC News said.

2010 Haiti Earthquake

In 2010, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti in the afternoon (local time) of January 12. The epicenter was detected near the town of Leogane, Ouest department, which is approximately 25 kilometers west of the capital city of Port-au-Prince. The quake was reportedly powerful it sent dozens of shockwaves even after more than 10 days.

Initial investigation of the natural disaster resulted in more than 100,000 casualties. It has been estimated that 250,000 people died and at least 300,000 others were injured during the 2010 Haiti earthquake, according to the non-profit organization World Vision.

In its separate report, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) determined that the 2010 earthquake resulted at around 300,000 deaths and displaced over 1 million people, as 80% to 90% of the buildings across the country were either damaged or destroyed.

2021 Haiti Earthquake

After more than a decade, another deadly earthquake struck Haiti in 2021, which resulted in the deaths of more than 2,000 people and infrastructural damage. It was in the morning of August 14 that year when a 7.2 magnitude quake hit the southwestern part of the country.

The 2021 earthquake occurred along the Enriquillo-Plantain Garden fault, also called the EPGF zone, according to an international team of researchers from the U.S. and France, as cited by the University of California, San Diego.

The catastrophic seismic-related incidents for the past several years highlight the vulnerability of the Caribbean country to strong tremors, as well as from tsunamis and landslides caused by earthquakes deemed as relatively strong on the Richter scale. Most of the reported deaths were due to falling debris from homes, buildings, or rocks.

Earthquakes in Haiti can occur frequently with an intensity, ranging from moderate to high, since it sits above a fault line in the middle of two tectonic plates: the North American plate and the Caribbean plate. Experts have asserted that seismic activities are strong in the said region.