13 January,2010 07:58 AM IST | | Agencies
A major earthquake struck just off the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince this morning, sparking a tsunami watch for parts of the Caribbean, according to the US Geological Survey.
Raymond Joseph, Haiti's ambassador to the United States, said he had little information about the extent of damage from the quake, which had a reported magnitude of 7.0.
However, he added that the suffering inflicted on the impoverished Caribbean nation was likely to be catastrophic.
"The only thing I can do now is pray and hope for the best," Joseph said. Besides, he added that a government official the only one he was able to reach told him houses had crumbled "on both sides of the street."
The quake could be felt strongly in the eastern Cuban city of Santiago. "It was very strong and lasted for almost a minute," said Marlon Romaguera, who runs a bed-and-breakfast there.
