Haiti hit by 5.3 magnitude quake, panicked residents flood streets

 

A 5.3 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti's southern peninsula on Monday, the U.S. Geological Survey reported, sending panicked residents flooding into the streets in the city of Les Cayes just six months after a major tremor in the same area.

The quake's epicenter was 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) from the Anse-à-Veau, near the city of Les Cayes, the USGS reported. It was short but strong, and was felt in the capital of Port-au-Prince, according to a Reuters witness.

"There is general panic in Les Cayes," one witness in the city told Reuters. "All the school children took to the streets."

Haiti's civil protection chief Jerry Chandler said in a text message that no damanges had been reported, adding that searches were still being conducted.

More than 2,000 people were killed in a 7.2 magnitude earthquake in August. --REUTERS