Haitian President René Préval fears that thousands of his compatriots are dead beneath the rubble of hospital, churches, schools, and homes throughout the stricken island nation. He could not provide an accurate number of the dead, as assessments appear to range from 50,000 to 500,000 dead.
Speaking to the media on January 13, Preval said “We have to do an assessment,” adding that the devastation is “unimaginable.” Said the Haitian chief executive, “The parliament has collapsed. The tax office has collapsed. Schools have collapsed. Hospitals have also collapsed. There are many schools with many dead people inside. “
“I walk on the bodies of dead people,” said Haitian first lady Elisabeth Préval. “Many people are beneath the buildings. The general hospital has collapsed. We need support. We need help. We need engineers,” said Mrs. Preval. “This is a catastrophe.”
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