Four Brazilian soldiers killed in massive Haiti earthquake

BRASILIA, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- The Brazilian Army confirmed Wednesday that four of its soldiers were killed in the massive Haiti earthquake.
Brigadier General Carlos Alberto Barcellos, head of the communication department of the Army, said the four soldiers were off the military base at the time of the quake Tuesday afternoon.

He also said five Brazilian soldiers were injured after the earthquake but the headquarters of Brazil's peacekeeping force were not damaged.

According to an earlier Brazilian radio report, a military source in Haiti said that at least seven Brazilian soldiers died and many others were injured in the strongest earthquake to hit the poor Caribbean nation in more than 200 years.

The Brazilian government has not confirmed the number of victims yet.

Working through the early hours of Wednesday, Brazilian troops helped rescue comrades buried in collapsed buildings and assisted local authorities after the magnitude 7.0 earthquake.

About 1,266 Brazilian military personnel participate in the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Haiti. The troops have played a significant role in helping victims of hurricanes which reached Haiti in 2004 and 2008.
Xinhua