'The World Is Coming To An End': YouTube Video Of Disastrous Haiti Quake

A massive 7.0 earthquake struck just south of Port-au-Prince last night, devastating a Haitian capital still rebuilding from multiple serious hurricanes two summers ago.Even in this age of instant information, news is only trickling out of Haiti. CNN reports this morning that there's no casualty count yet, but that the...

By Tim Elfrink

January 13, 2010

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A massive 7.0 earthquake struck just south of Port-au-Prince last night, devastating a Haitian capital still rebuilding from multiple serious hurricanes two summers ago.

Even in this age of instant information, news is only trickling out of Haiti. CNN reports this morning that there's no casualty count yet, but that the State Department expects "serious loss of life." Everything from the presidential palace to the U.N. headquarters crumbled in the quake.

There's one place with instant, heart-rending footage of the disaster, though -- YouTube. A few Haitian survivors have been uploading cell phone and camera footage today.

In the clip above, a woman breathlessly talks about the quake in French from her balcony while filming a landscape shrouded in dust. Then she switches to English, exclaiming, "The world is coming to an end!"

YouTube is collecting videos of the Haitian disaster here. Click through for a few more videos.

Want to help the victims? Operation Helping Hands is collecting donations here.

Trying to check on a relative in Haiti this morning?

The U.S. State Department has set up a number for U.S. citizens looking for help in tracking down loved ones. The number, according to the Herald, is 888-407-4747.

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Tim Elfrink is a former investigative reporter and managing editor for Miami New Times. He has won the George Polk Award and was a finalist for the Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting.

Contact: Tim Elfrink

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