M7

2010 Haiti / Caribbean Earthquake

Port-au-Prince, Haiti — January 12, 2010

The 2010 Haiti earthquake is the deadliest earthquake disaster of the 21st century, killing an estimated 316,000 people. Port-au-Prince, a city of 2 million with minimal earthquake-resistant construction, was almost completely destroyed. The disaster triggered the largest humanitarian response in history.

Earthquake Facts

Magnitude

M7

Date

Jan 12, 2010

Depth

13 km

Deaths

316,000

Latitude

18.457°

Longitude

-72.533°

Tsunami

No

Region

Haiti / Caribbean

Tectonic Cause

Strike-slip earthquake on the Enriquillo-Plantain Garden Fault Zone at the boundary between the Caribbean and North American plates. Haiti had not experienced a major earthquake in this region since 1770.

Aftermath in Pictures

Photos from Wikimedia Commons — open licenses (CC / Public Domain)

Images sourced from Wikimedia Commons under open licenses. Attribution required where specified. Click any image to enlarge.

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