The AP reported the hospital collapsed in the suburb of Petionville, a hillside area that is home to diplomats and many wealthy Haitians. There were reports that the Christopher Hotel and the Hotel Montana also were badly damaged.
AFP reported that the building housing the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti had collapsed.
"There are numerous people underneath the rubble, both dead and injured," an employee of the mission said.
MSNBC quoted Henry Bahn, an official with the U.S. Department of Agriculture visiting Haiti, as saying the sky in Port-au-Prince was gray from dust.
"Everybody is just totally, totally freaked out and shaken," he said.
There have been at least three strong aftershocks, all measuring at least 5.0 on the Richter scale, and phone service reportedly was out in the capital.
There were unconfirmed reports that at least part of the Presidential Palace had collapsed. The city was dark except for a few fires and some car lights according to one report from an eyewitness on Twitter.
Port-au-Prince has an official population of 1 million, but up to 2.5 million live in the metropolitan area, often in substandard housing.
President Barack Obama reportedly was monitoring the situation in Haiti closely and the White House issued a statement from the president promising American aid if needed.
"We stand ready to assist the people of Haiti," the president said.
******************
Major magnitude 7 quake hits Haiti: USGS
Reuters | Tuesday, January 12, 2010; 5:40 PM
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A major magnitude 7.0 quake hit the impoverished country of Haiti on Tuesday and prompted a tsunami watch for parts the Caribbean, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said on Tuesday.
The epicenter of the quake, which was initially reported off the coast, was
located inland, only 10 miles from the capital Port-au-Prince and was very
shallow at a depth of only 6.2 miles.
A major earthquake, of magnitude 7 or higher, is capable of causing widespread and heavy damage. There was no immediate report of damage or casualties.
The tsunami center said the watch was in effect for Haiti, the neighboring
Dominican Republic, with which it shares the island of Hispaniola, Cuba and the Bahamas.
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