12 Jan 2010 4:53PM

A 7.0 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Haiti, Causing Severe Damage

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The 2010 Haiti earthquake was a magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake that occurred approximately 10 miles (16 km) from Port-au-Prince, Haiti at 4:53:09 PM local time (21:53:09 UTC) on Tuesday 12 January 2010. The earthquake occurred at a depth of 6.2 miles (10.0 km). The United States Geological Survey recorded a series of aftershocks, ten of them above magnitude 5.0, including ones measuring 5.9 and 5.5.

Most of Port-au-Prince's major landmarks have been damaged in the earthquake, including the National Presidential Palace of Haiti, the National Assembly building, the Port-au-Prince Cathedral and at least one hospital. The United Nations reported that headquarters of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti, located in the capital, sustained serious damage and that a large number of UN personnel were unaccounted for.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_Haiti_earthquake