-
The latest from the AP:
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Haiti’s prime minister says it’s clear to him that the 10 U.S. Baptists who tried to take 33 Haitian children out of the quake-ravaged country “knew what they were doing was wrong.”
Prime Minister Max Bellerive also tells The Associated Press his country is open to having the Americans tried in the United States.
The fact that some of the kids had parents and the rescuers knew that changes things a bit. Still, I’m hearing reports that some family members wanted these kids to go to the other orphanage. And, if they had such solid family structures, what were they doing in an orphanage in the first place? Now that this has become a political issue (and a wedge issue for the struggling Haitian government to latch on to) you may have a fame-factor in play.
Remember when Madonna adopted a child from Malawi and all-of-a-sudden his father appeared and said he wanted the kid back? In the end, he just wanted some press, attention and money. We may have a similar outbreak of outwitted parents in Haiti as this case progresses. Then again, I have to leave open the possibility that these folks just did the wrong thing in trying to funnel the 30+ Haitian orphans out of the country. More to follow…
-
6.0 quake hits just off the coast of Guatemala.
No immediate reports of damage.
-
Just when I thought Pat Robertson was a shoe-in for jackass of the day, from out of left field comes this idiot guest-blogger at Boing-Boing. After admitting she knows nothing about the history of Haiti, she proceeds to connect the dots and come to the obvious conclusion: the U.S. (and the West) is responsible for the earthquake in Haiti.
Update: Idiocy is contagious, it seems.
-
Everyone seems to be settling in around 100,000, even though no one has an official count. I think that might be a bit too high. Solid numbers coming soon.
-
No one seems to know what the death toll in Haiti is at this point. I’ve heard anything ranging from ‘dozens’ to ‘hundreds of thousands’ per the Prime Minister. I’ll keep an eye out for some solid numbers as we switch to full-on rescue mode here.
I’m guessing 15k dead.
-
Some shocking snaps from Haiti show massive damage after the earthquake. Photos after the cut.
(more…) -
7.0 earthquake rocks Haiti. More to follow…
This is a bad one. Heavy building damage reported; reports of people screaming in the streets. No casualties yet. Fears of tsunami beginning to build.
Update: Monitor tweets sent from the region.
The latest info, after the cut…
(more…) -
4.1 mag quake rocks the Bay Area…
-
Just over thirty minutes ago, a 3.2 mag earthquake shook Mexico City, Mexico. Reports flowing in say buildings were shaking in the city but no major damage is reported so far.
The majority of Mexican citizens remained at home on Monday after the government there ordered businesses to close (some for as long as 10 days) and citizens to remain indoors. Updates to follow if need be.
Update: The earthquake has been upgraded to 6.0 in strength…
Actually, it looks like the 3.2 shake occurred last night and may have been a prelude to the larger quake just moments ago. Regardless, I’ll keep an eye out for any damage reports.
-
Looks like it was a pretty powerful quake — 6.0 Mag…:
L’AQUILA, Italy (Reuters) – A powerful earthquake struck central Italy as residents slept on Monday morning, killing more than 90 people and making up to 50,000 homeless.
“Some towns in the area have been virtually destroyed in their entirety,” a somber Gianfranco Fini, speaker of the lower house of parliament, said before the chamber observed a moment of silence.
What’s worse, it seems a scientist who predicted the quake was muzzled.
-
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, Calif. — A strong earthquake has shaken Southern California. The late Tuesday morning jolt was felt from Los Angeles to San Diego, and slightly in Las Vegas. It struck shortly after 11:30 a.m.
Preliminary information from the U.S. Geological Survey estimated the quake at magnitude 5.8, centered 29 miles east-southeast of downtown Los Angeles near Chino Hills.
Live Video Coverage Via KNBC In Los Angeles, California
I’ve got a friend on the ground in LA feeding me details. He says his office has been evacuated and everyone is kind of clueless. He didn’t know how powerful the quake was and all of the phone lines in the area are down. More to follow… Map of the epicenter is here.
Live Coverage – Just Hit Play:
The quake interrupted a meeting of the Los Angeles City Council, causing the 27-story City Hall to sway just as Councilman Dennis Zine was criticizing a plan to increase trash fees.
“Earthquake! Earthquake! We’ve got an earthquake,” said Zine, as members of the audience began to cry out. “It’s still happening.”
Orange County also felt shaking.
“It’s the first time in my life I actually got under my desk,” said Anaheim Police Sgt. Ken Seymour, who has lived in Southern California his whole life.
It’s too early to tell if there’s any major damage but all units are checking overpasses, bridges and tall buildings, he said.
A source in Las Vegas tells me the quake could be felt clearly in Sin City…
Here’s the USGA report on the initial quake…
Update: The quake has been downgraded to a 5.4.
Update: Source still reporting jammed phone lines… small damage… train delays.
