Haiti's presidential palace and numerous other government buildings in the country's capital Port-au-Prince collapsed Tuesday after a massive 7.0 earthquake, according to online reports from Haitian television.

Communications to the island, the most impoverished in the western hemisphere, were severely disrupted in the wake of quake, which produced several aftershocks and prompted a tsunami warning.

A journalist with Haitian television station Haitipal, interviewed by telephone from Port-au-Prince, told AFP that public buildings across the capital had been destroyed.

"The presidential palace, the finance ministry, the ministry of public works, the ministry of communication and culture,'' were all affected by the quake, the reporter said, adding that the parliament building and a cathedral in the capital were also crumbling.

The first shock, which was centered 710 miles (1140 km) south east of Miami, Florida, struck at 4.53 p.m. local time on Tuesday (9:53 p.m. GMT).

It was followed by three aftershocks, measuring 5.9, 5.5 and 5.1 on the magnitude scale, the US Geological Survey reported.

A tsunami alert issued for the Caribbean region after the earthquake struck was later canceled.

President Barack Obama says the United States stood "ready to assist'' Haiti after a powerful 7.0 quake rocked the impoverished Caribbean nation.

"My thoughts and prayers go out to those who have been affected by this earthquake. We are closely monitoring the situation and we stand ready to assist the people of Haiti,'' he said on Tuesday (EST).

A Reuters reporter the capital Port-au-Prince said he saw dozens of dead and injured people in the rubble, which blocked streets in the city.

"Everything started shaking, people were screaming, houses started collapsing ... it's total chaos," Reuters reporter Joseph Guyler Delva said.

"I saw people under the rubble, and people killed," he added.

Haiti's presidential palace and numerous other government buildings in the country's capital Port-au-Prince collapsed Tuesday after a massive 7.0 earthquake, according to online reports from Haitian television.

Communications to the island, the most impoverished in the western hemisphere, were severely disrupted in the wake of quake, which produced several aftershocks and prompted a tsunami warning.

A journalist with Haitian television station Haitipal, interviewed by telephone from Port-au-Prince, told AFP that public buildings across the capital had been destroyed.
Haitians standing amid rubble after a 7.0 earthquake rocked the impoverished Caribbean nation.

"The presidential palace, the finance ministry, the ministry of public works, the ministry of communication and culture,'' were all affected by the quake, the reporter said, adding that the parliament building and a cathedral in the capital were also crumbling.

The first shock, which was centered 710 miles (1140 km) south east of Miami, Florida, struck at 4.53 p.m. local time on Tuesday (9:53 p.m. GMT).

It was followed by three aftershocks, measuring 5.9, 5.5 and 5.1 on the magnitude scale, the US Geological Survey reported.

A tsunami alert issued for the Caribbean region after the earthquake struck was later canceled.

President Barack Obama says the United States stood "ready to assist'' Haiti after a powerful 7.0 quake rocked the impoverished Caribbean nation.

"My thoughts and prayers go out to those who have been affected by this earthquake. We are closely monitoring the situation and we stand ready to assist the people of Haiti,'' he said on Tuesday (EST).

A Reuters reporter the capital Port-au-Prince said he saw dozens of dead and injured people in the rubble, which blocked streets in the city.

"Everything started shaking, people were screaming, houses started collapsing ... it's total chaos," Reuters reporter Joseph Guyler Delva said.

"I saw people under the rubble, and people killed," he added