The bodies of the dead lying in the streets of Haiti's capital as the result of a powerful earthquake are being collected by front-loaders, piled together, and burned, a RIA Novosti correspondent reported on Saturday.
The 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck Haiti on Tuesday and almost leveled Port-au-Prince. A number of aftershocks followed. The most recent quake, measuring 4.6 on the Richter scale, was registered some 60 km (37 miles) to the south of Port-au-Prince late on Friday night.
According to the latest figures, some 140,000 were killed in the quake, 250,000 were injured, and more than 3 million have been left without shelter.
The air reeks of decomposing human bodies, which is intensified by the smell of burning bodies on bonfires in Port-au-Prince, RIA Novosti's correspondent said.
He said many bodies are still seen lying in the streets and under rubble, while rescue operations are still underway searching for survivors.
A makeshift camp with tents in the capital has been set up across from the Presidential Palace, which was destroyed during the earthquake, where thousands have gathered to seek shelter. The number of people and the lack of sanitary facilities intensify the smell in the area as people are relieving themselves near the camp. There are also piles of plastic plates and other refuse acquiring in the city center.
PORT-AU-PRINCE, January 16 (RIA Novosti)
