Sign up to The Irish Times Archive (1859 - 2008)My Account »

The most shocking thing is to see bloated, decomposing bodies, still abandoned, six days after the earthquake, writes LARA MARLOWEin Port-au-Prince

IT DOESN’T take long in Port-au-Prince to learn to distinguish between differnt kinds of ruined buildings. Those split open to display the owners’ possessions give you a strange sense of voyeurism, as if one were looking at a soul. Some slant at curious angles, defying gravity by remaining standing. The most sinister, of course, are the millefeuille ruins that collapsed on all and sundry. When you approach them, it is best to cover your nose. There are human beings entombed inside them, and they reek of rotting flesh, a sour, nauseating smell that compels you to cover your face with your handkerchief.