Magnitude 7.0 quake hits Haiti

A strong earthquake measuring 7 on the Richter scale hit the Caribbean nation of Haiti on Tuesday. The quake was followed by two major aftershocks measuring 5.9 and 5.5, minutes later.

The epicenter of the quake was located inland, only 16 kilometers southwest of the capital Port-au-Prince and was very shallow at a depth of about 10 kilometers. The tremor has collapsed buildings in the capital and buried residents under rubble.

A Reuters reporter in the city said he had seen dozens of people apparently dead or injured lying under rubble, which blocked roads. Panic-stricken residents were desperately trying to dig people out from under the rubble or search for missing relatives.

The quake prompted a tsunami watch for Haiti, Cuba, the Bahamas and the Dominican Republic. CCTV will keep you up-dated with the developments of the situation as information comes in.

Scared people stand nearby a collapsed building after the 7.0 magnitude earthquake in Port-Au-Prince of Haiti, Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2010. (Xinhua/AFP Photo)