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The quake struck the nation, located just east of Cuba, at 12.11am BST on Sunday with a depth of 10km. Pictures from the scene show crumbling building and damage to vehicles and walls after the devasting quake struck the Caribbean nation injuring up to 135 people. The quake was centred around 12 miles (20 km) west-northwest of Ti Port-de-Paix off Haiti's north coast. The police chief for the north-west region, Jackson Hilaire, initially confirmed seven people died in Port-de-Paix, while the interior minister, Reynaldo Brunet, said three people had died further south in the town of Gros Morne.

Le Nouvelliste newspaper said one person had died when an auditorium collapsed in Gros Morne. Detainees were also released from a police holding cell that was damaged. People flocked to social media to say the quake had been felt in Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital, but there had not been any major damage. Haiti is prone to earthquakes as the island sits adjacent to major fault lines along the so-called "Ring of Fire". This is a horseshoe-shaped belt running around the Pacific Ocean where a large number of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur.

A 5.8 magnitude earthquake has struck near Port-au-Prince

About 90 percent of all earthquakes occur along the Ring of Fire, which is dotted with 75 percent of all the active volcanoes on earth. Haiti's Civil Protection agency says 135 injuries have been reported. But the full extent of the damage and number of casualties is still emerging as authorities assess the areas affected. The Civil Protection agency said: "Our teams from north to south are witnessing a state of panic in some cities." Haiti’s president Jovenel Moïse said: “An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.8 has hit Haiti. “According to the first reports by the Civil Protection, there is damage in the Far North of the Island. “I am working closely with authorities for an appropriate response.

The quake struck the north-west Caribbean Island at around 8pm local time on Saturday

The earthquake was centred around 12 miles west-northwest of Ti Port-de-Paix off Haiti's north coast

A local official said at least eight people died in Port-de-Paix on the northern coast near the epicenter of the quake. Four people were killed in and around the town of Gros-Morne farther south, local authorities said, including a woman who died from a heart attack suffered after the quake. Another person was killed in the town of Chansolme when a house collapsed and one other person in Saint-Louis-du-Nord. Rescue teams fanned out to help residents, many of whom were still dealing with the trauma of a devastating earthquake in 2010.

Buildings are severely damaged with debris and rubble masking the streets

This is the strongest earthquake to hit Haiti since 2010. In 2010, Haiti was devasted by a quake measuring 7.3 on the richter scale. The earthquake happened at 16:53 local time on Tuesday, 12 January 2010. By January 24, at least 52 aftershocks measuring 4.5 or greater were recorded.

The earthquake took place at 12.11am on Sunday morning with a depth of 10km