16:53 local time ( 21:53 UTC ) : the earthquake happened . People dug through rubble , rescuing survivors and recovering bodies . The bodies were laid out in the streets , some in piles . During the night , many people digging through the rubble used flashlights or torches . The Argentine Air Force Mobile Field Hospital , already deployed at Port-au-Prince , was the only medical facility still open . Argentine helicopters from the United Nations force were helping evacuate the gravely injured people to Santo Domingo
the earthquake
2010 Haiti earthquake
Timeline of relief efforts after the 2010 Haiti earthquake