NEW YORK - Office of the United Nations in Port-au-Prince, Haiti destroyed after a powerful earthquake struck the country. UN official release mentions, their offices were damaged seriously enough. In the broadcast also mentioned, they lost contact with large numbers of UN personnel stationed in the country. "So far, we can only say they were lost. But we are still continue to seek contact with them," said Alain Leroy, the head of UN peacekeeping operations.
According to him, the office of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) that was destroyed, including a number of installation. Communication facilities are also cut off. Until now, it is still trying to get contact with them.
MINUSTAH stood since 2004, reinforced by 7060 troops and 2091 police. They served to keep peace in the nation of 8 million on this Caribbean island.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon expressed concern over the disaster. He expressed deep condolences to the families of the victims died in the accident.
Until now, there are no official data on the number of victims killed in the disaster. Haiti's ambassador to the United States, Raymond Joseph, said, "I we are a large-scale disaster." According to him, the last big earthquake struck the country 200 years ago.
Thousands of people still believed trapped in collapsed buildings. Karel Zelenka, Catholic Relief Services representative in the last call before it could not be reached at all states of thousands of people might die if aid does not soon come. "They're all still buried," he said.
He also said the atmosphere was very chaotic. Residents who survived screaming hysterically while injured whimpering for help. "The atmosphere became blurred because the city covered by the fog of dust," he added.
Some netter still managed to send information through the social networking site on the current state of Haiti. Richard Morse, American musician who now manages hotels in Haiti Olaffson post via Twitter videotape of the destruction of the surrounding buildings. He also upload a few photos from some of his colleagues. He only wrote a brief, "Mass Destruction" in his tweet.
Earthquake estimated at 7.0 on the Richter Scale. The earthquake was centered in the west of Port-au-Prince in the depths of 10 km.
A USGS Geofisikawati, Kristin Marano, said the quake was the largest since 1770 earlier. In 1946, an earthquake of 8.1 on the Richter Scale occurred in the Dominican Republic and Haiti are also related. The earthquake caused a tsunami and killed 1790 people.
The earthquake was also felt in the Dominican Republic and Cuba to the east, but reported no major damage in both places.
President Barack Obama has ordered the U.S. officials prepare to give humanitarian aid to Haiti. Meanwhile, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro, said his government plans to send military planes to carry groceries, water, and medicines. Latin countries will also send a rescue team of 50 people.
A famous musician from Haiti, Wyclef Jean, has urged his fans to donate money for earthquake victims in Haiti. He said it had received word from home that many people were killed.
Meanwhile, the Brazilian government continued to try to communicate with the embassy in Haiti. Brazil has a 9000 military personnel in Haiti. They are incorporated in the UN peacekeeping force.
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