The 2010 Haiti earthquake was a catastrophic magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake.Its epicentre was near the town of Léogâne,approximately 25 km (16 miles) west of Port-au-Prince,Haiti's capital.The earthquake occurred at 16:53 local time on Tuesday,12 January 2010.By 24 January,at least 52 aftershocks measuring 4.5 or greater had been recorded.An estimated three million people were affected by the quake; Haitian President Rene Preval stated,on 27 January,that "nearly 170,000" bodies had been counted.Reports claimed that 20,000 commercial buildings and 225,000 residences had collapsed or were severely damaged.
The earthquake caused major damage to Port-au-Prince,Jacmel and other settlements in the region.Many notable landmark buildings were significantly damaged or destroyed,including the Presidential Palace,the National Assembly building,the Port-au-Prince Cathedral,and the main jail.
Many countries responded to appeals for humanitarian aid,pledging funds and dispatching rescue and medical teams,engineers and support personnel.Communication systems,air,land,and sea transport facilities,hospitals,and electrical networks had been damaged by the earthquake,which hampered rescue and aid efforts; confusion over who was in charge,air traffic congestion,and problems with prioritisation of flights further complicated early relief work.Port-au-Prince's morgues were quickly overwhelmed; tens of thousands of bodies were buried in mass graves.As rescues tailed off,supplies,medical care and sanitation became priorities.Delays in aid distribution led to angry appeals from aid workers and survivors,and some looting and sporadic violence were observed.
On 22 January the United Nations noted that the emergency phase of the relief operation was drawing to a close,and on the following day the Haitian government officially called off the search for survivors.
