The U.S. State Department issued a travel alert to Haiti on Wednesday following a 7.0 earthquake near Port-Au-Prince.
The State Department urged U.S. citizens to avoid travel to Haiti and advised U.S. citizens in Haiti to remain in shelter and to avoid debris by getting to an open space and away from structures in the event of an aftershock. The travel alert expires on March 13.
The State Department also relayed reports of extensive damage in Haiti caused by the earthquake. Additional aftershocks remain a possibility, the State Department warned, but a tsunami watch for Haiti and neighboring islands in the Caribbean issued by the Pacific Tsunami Alert Center has expired.
The U.S. Embassy in Port-Au-Prince has set up a task force and is working to identify U.S. citizens in Haiti who need assistance.
