Madrid, Spain, Jan 21, 2010 / 17:02 pm
The Salesian Office in Madrid has revised its early estimates on the number of children and teens who lost their lives in the collapsed buildings and schools operated by the order in Haiti. Officials now say that as many as 500 are buried under the rubble after the devastating earthquake.
According to a statement, “the U.N. Crisis Unit has been in communication with Haiti police who, nonetheless, continue the search for survivors.”
“The deaths of three Salesian religious needs to be added to this tragic number,” the statement indicated. “Hubert Sanon, 85, Atsime Wilfrid, 28, and Vibrun Valsaint, 26,” all perished in the earthquake.
The remainder of the 66 Salesian religious in Haiti are safe, “although some suffered minor injuries.”
“The Salesians have opened a line of communication with the mission center in New Rochelle (New York), which is coordinating the assistance, and with the headquarters in Rome,” the statement continued.
“Salesians from the Dominican Republic have already sent 10 trucks full of supplies and medicine. This is in addition to the containers of rice sent from the United States and the collections being taken up by the Salesian Family throughout the world.”