Neighbors had to quickly pick up and carry bed-ridden survivors of Haiti’s earthquake through heavy rains as Tropical Depression Grace began passing through southwestern Haiti Monday night, two days after a 7.2 magnitude earthquake. Other families left homeless spent the night under the pouring rain.
“We’re suffering, the babies are getting wet,” said one woman in Les Cayes in tears, holding an umbrella, in one video. “No one is helping us, we’re only able to cry out to God.”
Haiti’s southern region felt the strongest shakes of the earthquake that left at least 1,419 people dead. Tropical Depression Grace also hit the southern region, even as slow-moving rescue and recovery efforts were underway. Seaside towns Jacmel, Les Cayes and Marigot are among the areas in the South that are experiencing flooding, according to residents.
It is unclear how much damage Grace has caused so far in Haiti. But from the earthquake alone, the death toll stood at 1,419 deaths, the injured numbered more than 6,900 people and at least 2,800 homes have been destroyed. Total damage assessments will not be known for some time, authorities said.
Despite the rains late Monday, rescue workers returned to their efforts early Tuesday morning and pulled out 16 people alive from the rubble, according to Protection Civil.