 British search and rescue teams were the first to arrive in <unk> , the town at the epicenter of the quake , on 17 January . The Canadian ship HMCS <unk> reached the area on 19 January , and by 20 January there were 250 – 300 Canadian personnel assisting relief efforts in the town . By 19 January , staff of the International Red Cross had also managed to reach the town , which they described as " severely damaged ... the people there urgently need assistance " , and by 20 January they had reached Petit @-@ Goâve as well , where they set up two first @-@ aid posts and distributed first @-@ aid kits . 
