State Department says 1 American dead in Haiti; hundreds evacuated

First American death reported in Haiti

WASHINGTON — A State Department official confirms the first death of an American in quake-stunned Haiti, saying that at least 164 U.S. citizens have been evacuated since Tuesday’s 7.0 magnitude temblor.

State Department spokesman P. J. Crowley said in a briefing Thursday that Coast Guard C-130 planes have airlifted 42 American officials and their families and another 72 private citizens to safety.

He said that another 370 Americans were awaiting flights out today. There were some 45,000 Americans living in Haiti at the time of the earthquake, and officials said few had contacted American authorities in the hours immediately after the quake.