Queen expresses sadness over deaths in Haiti earthquake
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The Queen has shared her sadness at the devastation caused by the Haiti earthquake in a message of condolence to the prime minister of the Caribbean nation.
The death toll from the 7.2 magnitude quake has risen to 1,297 as rescuers race to find survivors amid the rubble ahead of a potential deluge from an approaching tropical storm.
Saturday’s earthquake left around 5,700 people injured, with thousands displaced from their destroyed or damaged homes.
The Queen’s message to Haiti’s premier Ariel Henry read: “I am deeply saddened by the tragic loss of life and destruction caused by the earthquake in Haiti.
“My thoughts and prayers are with those who have lost their lives, loved ones and homes, as well as the emergency services working in the recovery effort.”
The Queen, who is on her annual break at Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire, signed her message Elizabeth R.
The devastation could worsen with the coming of Tropical Depression Grace, which is predicted to reach Haiti on Monday night and could bring heavy rain, flooding and landslides.
The earthquake struck the south-western part of the western hemisphere’s poorest nation, almost razing some towns and triggering landslides that hampered rescue efforts in a country already struggling with the coronavirus pandemic, a presidential assassination and a wave of gang violence.
