A 7.3-magnitude earthquake which struck off the coast of Haiti is feared to have caused major loss of life in and around the capital, Port-au-Prince.
Haiti’s envoy to the US said it was a “catastrophe of major proportions”.
Buildings, including a hospital, are reported to have collapsed, with streets said to be blocked by rubble.
The quake, which struck about 15km (10 miles) south-west of the capital, was quickly followed by two strong aftershocks of 5.9 and 5.5 magnitude.
The tremor hit at 1653 (2153 GMT), the US Geological Survey said.
A Reuters reporter in Port-au-Prince said he had seen “dozens of dead and injured people” in the rubble of fallen buildings.
Karel Zelenka, a Catholic Relief Services representative in Port-au-Prince, told colleagues in the US “there must be thousands of people dead”.
The aid worker had managed to phone his colleagues before communication links to the country failed.
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