"Worst Earthquake in 200 Years Strikes Haiti"

DEBORAH AMOS, Host:

It's MORNING EDITION from NPR News. I'm Deborah Amos.

STEVE INSKEEP, Host:

And I'm Steve Inskeep. All this morning, we're bringing you updates on the earthquake that struck Haiti yesterday. It was a magnitude seven quake, and it was centered just a few miles from Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince.

AMOS: We're told that homes went sliding down hillsides in a city where many buildings are unsafe even in normal times. And this quake was strong enough to wreck many of the city's landmarks. Even the presidential palace crumbled, and the local headquarters of the United Nations collapsed. Electricity is out.

INSKEEP: Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, and its infrastructure is weak even on good days. Parts of the country still haven't recovered from floods a year ago. The U.S. State Department and the military are coordinating American relief plans, and are being joined by many private relief agencies as well as other nations. And we will keep you updated as we learn more.