Haiti quake death toll rises to 724 as tropic storm looms

The death toll in Haiti's earthquake rose to 724 as rescue workers scrambled to find survivors buried under buildings.

PORT-AU-PRINCE: The death toll from a devastating earthquake in Haiti rose to 724 on Sunday as rescue workers scrambled to find survivors buried under buildings a day after the 7.2 magnitude quake and as a tropical storm bore down on the Caribbean nation. The quake flattened hundreds of homes and buildings in a Caribbean nation which is still clawing its way back from another major temblor 11 years ago and reeling from the assassination of its president last month. Southwestern Haiti bore the brunt of the blow, especially in the region in and around the city of Les Cayes. In a news conference on Sunday, Haitian officials said the toll from the disaster had climbed to 724 as the rescue work continued. Churches, hotels, hospitals and schools were badly damaged or destroyed, while the walls of a prison were rent open by the violent shudders that convulsed Haiti.