Haitian Earthquake

[Newfoundking]

I'm not usually the one to post about this kind of stuff, but I'm sure you've all heard about the huge earthquake that took place in Haiti on Tuesday.. It was a 7.0 and so far is expected to have claimed at least 50,000 lives.

I guess this can be best described as a place to share your stories, any missing you know, or update with more news.. I'll try to be responsible for news updates myself, but feel free to add in.

UN soldier James Coates is my friends brother, and he was over in the UN headquarters in port-au-prince, which was the epicentre for the quake and was doing a video conference online with another UN soldier outside of the Haitian area, back home in Canada. That was approximately quarter to five Tuesday. During the conference, the link was disconnected after Coates said something about shaking. The UN building has collapsed and so far the UN is reporting over 300 missing, Coates being one. Last time I checked, the confirmed death toll in that one building was 30+

Also, a man I met over the summer works with the Salvation Army in Haiti, and I was talking to him, he said the school that the SA operates was built to US code for earthquakes and aside from a few stairwell collapses and very minor damage, the building was fine.. If the quake happened 3 hours earlier, during school, the students would've been much safer. However when they reopen and do roll call, he is expecting a large number to be missing and dead from the earthquake damage to sub-par homes.

If you have any stories to share, or anything really, feel free to post here.

[FDNY Rescue 1]

Forty-two members of the FDNY’s Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team were deployed to Haiti on Jan. 14, to assist with the relief efforts following the magnitude 7 earthquake that occurred on Jan. 12.

The group, sponsored by New York City’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), includes 36 firefighters from the Special Operations Command, four rescue paramedics and two FDNY physicians.

Each has diverse, highly-specialized training in a variety of disciplines, including collapse operations, rope rescue, high-angle rescue, rigging, confined space rescue and emergency triage. They will provide any support needed in response to the harsh conditions in the area.

The FDNY members are joined by 40 members of the NYPD as part of the New York Task Force 1. The members and approximately 20 tons of equipment departed from Stewart Air Force Base in Newburgh, N.Y.

The FDNY members will provide any support needed in response to the harsh conditions in the area.

Managing the group is Rescue Battalion Chief Joe Downey, whose late father, Deputy Chief Ray Downey, started the USAR program. Chief Ray Downey was killed in the World Trade Center attacks.

The team is self-sufficient and able to operate for at least 72 hours from the time they reach the island, with their own supply of water, food and shelter.

The FDNY’s USAR team members most recently responded to the Gulf Coast region in 2008 for Hurricane Gustov. There are 28 USAR teams located throughout the United States, which can be deployed within six hours of activation.

[Tim]

I'd like to go there and help, but as I'm not 18 yet, my department can't let me go there But I heard that we send numerous doctors, paramedics and equipment to Haiti.

[MCERT1]

Ohio Task Force 1 was activated by FEMA on Thursday 14 January 2010. They departed from Wright Patterson AFB later that day.

[pyrothijs]

The full Dutch USAR squad (about 60 persons and 8 dogs) have arrived yesterday together with a supply of medications and food.

[Shadylasse]

60 Danish people from the International Emergency Department in Denmark is send to Haiti along with a huge amount of cash from the government and help organizations. The IED (Beredskabsstyrrelsen in Danish) is getting ready to send 100, if the situation requires further helpers.

Also many Danish people from Red Cross has arrived to the scene.

[Xplorer4x4]

LAFD or LACoFD is sending crew over there as well. Not sure just how many though.

[917893678251]

As far as I know,Haiti does have ambulances but very few,they're all run by the red cross. Sucks being in poor countries like this when you are in an earthquake though,they don't have any national disaster response team like the national guard or China's people's armed police.

·China sent an emergency rescue team Wednesday evening to quake-hit Haiti.

·Chinese leadership expressed sympathy with and deep condolence to the Haitian people.

·China's Red Cross Society decided to donate 1 mln U.S. dollars of emergency aid to Haiti.

BEIJING, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- China sent an emergency rescue team Wednesday evening to quake-hit Haiti, where several thousands of lives may have been claimed.

Chinese leadership expressed sympathy with and deep condolence to the Haitian people for their loss in the strongest ever quake in about 200 years in the Caribbean islands country, with which China has no diplomatic relations.

A female armed police official helps fastening helmet of a female member of a Chinese rescue team before the 50-member team's departure for quake-hit Haiti, at the Capital International Airport in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 13, 2010. The team consist of search and rescue personnel, who have conducted many rescue tasks of this kind in the past years, and three sniffer dogs.

A female armed police official helps fastening helmet of a female member of a Chinese rescue team before the 50-member team's departure for quake-hit Haiti, at the Capital International Airport in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 13, 2010. The team consist of search and rescue personnel, who have conducted many rescue tasks of this kind in the past years, and three sniffer dogs. (Xinhua/Xing Guangli)

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Chinese President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao have demanded the related Chinese government departments and rescue group to help uncover those being buried, protect Chinese nationals there and provide humanitarian aid.

China's Red Cross Society has decided to donate one million U.S. dollars of emergency aid to the country, which was hit Tuesday by the 7.3-magnitude earthquake at about 4:53 p.m. local time (2153 GMT).

The epicenter of the devastating quake was located under the sea, some 15 km southwest of the capital city Port-au-Prince, home to an estimated four million.

Members of a Chinese rescue team with sniffer dogs are ready to board a plane leaving for quake-hit Haiti, at the Capital International Airport in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 13, 2010. A 7.0-magnitude earthquake hit Haiti on Tuesday local time, collapsing a hospital and damaging government buildings in its capital city of Port-au-Prince. (Xinhua/Xing Guangli)

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Power supplies were cut off and communications were interrupted as many buildings, including hospitals and the presidential compound, were damaged.

Eight of the 125 Chinese peace-keeping policemen, who were deployed there last June to safeguard social security, were also buried under debris, said a statement from the Chinese cabinet, the State Council.

A "massive number" of people of the United Nations mission, including the 9,000-strong multi-national peacekeeping mission, were still missing after the calamity, according to an anonymous UN official.

The Chinese rescue team took off from the Beijing International Airport at about 8:30 p.m. and is expected to arrive at Port-au-Prince after a 20-hour flight.

Members of a Chinese rescue team are ready to depart for quake-hit Haiti, at the Capital International Airport in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 13, 2010. (Xinhua/Xing Guangli)

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The team included search and rescue personnel and doctors, who have conducted many similar tasks in the past years, as well as three sniffer dogs.

"Most of the members are very experienced," said Liu Xiangyang, deputy chief of the National Earthquake Disaster Emergency Rescue Team, before their departure.

The team will also take some 10 tonnes of food, equipment and medicine on the special plane.

"We take limited equipment and personnel due to time deadline, limited capacity of transportation and long-distance," said DoctorHou Shike, head of the medical group.

Chinese leaders are very concerned with the safety of Chinese nationals including peacekeepers, compatriots from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan and overseas Chinese, said Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu.

"We are in belief that the Haitian people, under the leadership of their government, will overcome difficulties and rebuild their homes at an early date with the help of the international community," Jiang said.

A 50-member Chinese rescue team is ready to depart for quake-hit Haiti, at the Capital International Airport in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 13, 2010. (Xinhua/Xiang Guangli)

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The Center for Consular Assistance and Protection under China's Foreign Ministry has opened its 24-hour consultation service.

China is also a major victim of earthquakes, including the May 12 quake that hit southwest China's Sichuan Province in 2008.

Via the Internet, Chinese netizens, prayed and expressed their condolence to the Haitian people, living on the other side of the globe.

"We are together, We are family," read one of the more than 8,000 comments posted on the popular website sina.com.

[Multibullets]

My Condolences go out to family members and friends of people missing/confirmed dead in Haiti. It's so sad something like that has to happen in the world.

I believe Holland has sent about 2000 Military Personnel to help out. I really hope people will be found alive, no one deserves to die that way!

Newfoundking, I really hope your friend's brother will be found!

[Forensics]

I watched a huge story about in on the news last night, it's so sad how they can't cope with it at all and that the country is so poor. With the lack of government it's a total shambles.

Thank god for international aid. Though it's too late, so many people have already died. And with the lack of food and water (And medics/hospitals) more people are going to die.

[Multibullets]

I wish we could save them by playing Emergency 4

[Shadylasse]

Breaking News: New earthquake in Haiti, 4,5 Richter

[joachimnor]

Norwegian Department of foreign affairs denied the departure of one of our USAR teams (assholes... someone should beat some common sense into them...) even tho the UN asked them to come ASAP

[Newfoundking]

Breaking News: New earthquake in Haiti, 4,5 Richter

News link?

[Hoppah]

I read something about Dutch rescue workers who were fired upon. And at least two Dutch people have been found death in the rubble. They were there to adopt a child. That child was found death too. I hope they can establish a good security force as soon as possible to make sure all rescue workers can do their work safely. The last thing everyone wants is their supplies getting raid by desperate people. A lot people haven't eaten for days and that can bring the worst into people. If dead bodies don't get removed, they will cause diseases and that can make the situation even more worse.

[Forensics]

Breaking News: New earthquake in Haiti, 4,5 Richter

Where did you hear about this?

I can't find anything that says a second quake.

[randomperson139]

There was a second quake this morning. It mentions it in this article.

[Forensics]

There was a second quake this morning. It mentions it in this article.

Oh yeah must of missed that.

BBC news is my home page.

So I don't now how I missed it.

[erfd]

I read something about Dutch rescue workers who were fired upon.

im sorry, but that pisses me off... other countries send our people down to help them and try save survivors and there are people who try to kill them... I dont get.

[Shadylasse]

Sorry for no link guys, I see randomperson saved me I got a mobile service with news messages. Just arrived so I posted.

[917893678251]

im sorry, but that pisses me off... other countries send our people down to help them and try save survivors and there are people who try to kill them... I dont get.

Dude,they didn't tell you that a prison broke down and 4000 prisoners escaped,that's why they're being shot,they're criminals that escaped.

[erfd]

Dude,they didn't tell you that a prison broke down and 4000 prisoners escaped,that's why they're being shot,they're criminals that escaped.

I heard about that... it just a mess dowm there. Its more than just that though. There have machete fights by gangs in the streets and every thing... just chaos.

[Ami89E1234]

Wonder if France is actually doing anything, since it's basically their fault Haiti is so piss-poor.

CBF'd right now; got to finish a 10 hour fight from LAX to Haneda in FSX and my 747 hates me right now lol.

[917893678251]

No,it's mostly the USAs' fault they are so poor.

[Ami89E1234]

Was Haiti an American colony? I don't think so. Besides, why are you dissing your own country? We didn't do anything to make them poor. Although we've largely avoided them, that can be said about most countries. The world can't rely on the U.S. alone; they have to make their own 'way' through life. Can't see as to why they're even thinking on relying on us, since we always seem to enter into pointless and/or unwinnable fights/situations.