2010 Haiti Earthquake
On the 12th of January 2010, a massively destructive earthquake of magnitude 7.0 struck Haiti, around 25 kilometres west of the country’s capital, Port-au-Prince. Although this was far from the worst earthquake to ever occur, Haiti’s infrastructure and housing was of a poor quality and was severely damaged by the quake and the (at least) 52 aftershocks. An estimate for the death toll is around 160,000. Outbreaks of diseases such as cholera, looting and sporadic violence occurred regularly, which exacerbated the death toll and lowered the standard of living for survivors in rescue camps. It also caused a localised tsunami.
In the aftermath of the main quake issues such as air traffic congestion, the sheer mass of bodies, confusion over who was in charge and damage to communication systems, air, land and sea transport facilities, hospitals and electrical networks hampered early rescue
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On 10 January 1977, the crater walls fractured, and the lava lake drained in less than an hour. The lava flowed down the flanks of the volcano at speeds of up to 60 miles per hour on the upper slopes, overwhelming villages and killing at least 70 people. The hazards posed by eruptions like this are unique to Nyiragongo. Nowhere else in the world does such a steep-sided stratovolcano contain a lake of such fluid lava. Nyiragongo 's proximity to heavily populated areas increases its potential for causing a natural disaster. The 1977 eruption raised awareness of the unique dangers posed by Nyiragongo, and because of this it was designated a Decade Volcano, worthy of particular study, in 1991.
About 147 people died in a 2002 eruption from asphyxiation by carbon dioxide and buildings collapsing due to the lava and earthquakes. At least 15% of Goma comprising 4,500 buildings were destroyed, leaving about 120,000 people homeless. The eruption was the most destructive effusive eruption in modern