Haiti ups quake death toll to 230,000

In Haiti, at least 230,000 people were killed in the devastating earthquake last month, exceeding the casualties of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.

The Haitian government said on Tuesday it has confirmed the death of 230,000 people in the quake on January 12th.

It also said the figure does not include victims privately buried by their families and that the number is expected to rise further as many people remain missing.

In December 2004, about 220,000 people were killed in the powerful quake off the coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra and subsequent tsunami.

NHK's correspondent says Haiti urgently requires medical aid from the international community as public heath is deteriorating due to poor conditions in the makeshift camps where many people are living.

Local hospitals were severely damaged in the quake and doctors and medicine are in acutely short supply.

Boats and helicopters are shuttling the injured between shore and a US Navy hospital ship off the capital Port-au-Prince. But the ship does not have the resources to treat all the patients, as many of them require long-term care.

2010/02/10 10:58(JST)
(JST: UTC+9hrs.)