Haiti was today plunged further into chaos, as it was hit by a second earthquake measuring a massive 6.1 on the Richter scale.

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Last week’s earthquake – which measured a collossal 7.0 – is estimated to have killed around 200,000 people, and as the aftershock hit today witnesses reported buildings shaking and people running into the streets in sheer panic.

It was not immediately clear what additional damage or casualities this second quake brought, but the Haitian Prime Minister, Jean-Max said that a plane and overland team would be deployed to check the situation.

He said: “We know they are going to need some help”.

The aftershock centred in Petit-Goave this afternoon, about 35 miles north-west of the capital of Port-au-Prince.

A spokesperson for the Disasters Emergency Committee said: “In the middle of an extremely challenging aid operation, where many survivors are already terrified of aftershocks, the news of today’s tremors are of grave concern.

“We are assessing the impact of the aftershock with our field staff to see if there has been further large-scale disruption to survivors and aid operations.

“As the full scale of the tragedy unfolds, there is still an urgent need for more funds and we continue to rely on the generosity of donors.”