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Red Cross responds to Haiti school collapse

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	A victim in the collapse of a school on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince.

n November 7^th, 2008, a three story school collapsed in Petionville, Haiti killing approximately 90 people and injuring many more. The school, located on the outskirts of capital city Port-au-Prince, collapsed in the morning burying hundreds of people, many of them children. The students at the school ranged from 10 to 20 years of age.

The Red Cross along with other humanitarian organizations assisted the Haitian authorities throughout the day and into the weekend to help free injured children trapped in the debris.

In addition to search and rescue efforts, the Haitian Red Cross, International Federation of Red Cross Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), along with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) organized a triage area where they evaluated the victims to be immediately dispatched to the nearest hospital.

The Canadian Red Cross was already supporting relief efforts in Haiti with personnel following hurricanes Gustav, Hanna and Ike, which swept through the country destroying homes and causing severe flooding. Canadian Red Cross personnel supported the relief efforts following the school collapse as well.

The Red Cross movement will continue to support relief efforts and the families of those who lost loved ones in this tragic incident.

Posted November 12, 2008