Haiti quake death toll rises to 1297, 5700 injured: many cities devastated

- Adverse effect on rescue operations as a result of landslides

Les Cayes: The death toll from Saturday's magnitude 7.5 earthquake in Haiti has risen to 18, with the number of injured reaching 200.

The Caribbean nation of Haiti has been devastated by an earthquake. Thousands of people, homes destroyed, have been displaced. Earthquake victims are living under the open sky in the scorching heat.

Amidst the Corona epidemic and incidents of violence, natural disaster relief work is facing difficulties. The president was assassinated in Haiti some time ago. The country's Prime Minister Ariel Henry has imposed a state of emergency in the country for a month. In addition to civilian residences, schools, churches and hospitals have also been damaged. The quake struck at a time when the entire country was battling the Koro epidemic.

Trouble could escalate earlier this fortnight as Hurricane Grace could reach Haiti by Monday night. This could lead to heavy rains, floods and landslides, said meteorologists.

The quake, which struck southwestern Haiti on Saturday, has almost completely devastated several cities. Landslides are having a detrimental effect on rescue operations.