Many Casualties Expected After Big Quake In Haiti

MANY CASUALTIES EXPECTED AFTER BIG QUAKE IN HAITI

The largest earthquake ever recorded in the area rocked Haiti on Tuesday, collapsing a hospital where people screamed for help and damaging other buildings. An aid official described "total disaster and chaos." Minor earthquakes are common in the Caribbean, but there has not been a major one in Haiti in 16 years. The country of about 9 million people, most of them desperately poor, has struggled with political instability and has no real construction standards. Because of the earthquake's proximity to the capital, and because the city is densely populated and has poorly constructed housing, it could cause significant casualties.

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