Gloria Morton News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

almost all communications are out. some are calling it a catastrophe of major proportions. the pictures are beginning to tell a horrifying story. buildings collapsed. people screaming for help. the earthquake hit about 5:00 p.m. with a magnitude of 11.0. the presidential palace and many government buildings have sustained heavy damage. the u.s. embassy appeared to have escaped unscathed, but a large number of u.n. personnel are missing. two american missionaries are among those trapped in the wreckage. the rescue and recovery operations will take days, if not weeks. the u.s. pledged to help any way it can. one rescue team will be fairfax county search and rescue team. derrick ward is on ox road where preparations are under way. reporter: those preparations began as word of this at cast fee started to get out. members of this team started to converge on this facility here. they have to pack up their equipment and make sure it can fit on an airplane. last time they deployed

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