Death toll from Haiti earthquake rises to 724 -- civil protection authorities

MEXICO CITY, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- The death toll has risen to 724 in a strong earthquake that struck Haiti on Saturday morning, the nation's civil protection authorities said in a statement on Sunday.

"The death toll of the earthquake rose at the start of the day on Aug. 15 to 724: 500 in the Sud (department), 100 in the Grand'Anse (department), 122 in the Nippes (department) and 2 in the Nord-Ouest (department)," said the statement.

According to Haiti's civil protection services, there are more than 2,800 injuries that have been recorded so far from the earthquake.

The 7.2-magnitude earthquake on Saturday struck the southwestern part of Haiti, with the epicenter about 150 km from the capital of Port-au-Prince.

(XINHUANET)