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Strong earthquake hits Haiti
Reports of destruction as 7.0 magnitude quake strikes near capital Port-au-Prince.
Last Modified: 12 Jan 2010 23:09 GMT

A strong earthquake has hit Haiti, where a hospital is said to have collapsed.

The earthquake had a preliminary magnitude of 7.0 and was centred about 15km west of the capital Port-au-Prince, according to the US Geological Survey.

It had a depth of 8km.

A US government official said some houses had tumbled into a ravine following the quake.

Lauren Magloire, a local journalist, told Al Jazeera that panic had hit the streets of the capital.

"People don't really know what's going on, but there are reports of devastation."
Source:
Al Jazeera and agencies
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