Military personnel at the US naval base at Guantanamo Bay have pitched 100 tents to prepare for a potential influx of Haitian refugees escaping the earthquake-ravaged capital, according to a Miami Herald report.
The US Navy commander in charge of the controversial detention centre, Thomas Copeman, on Wednesday said the tents, capable of housing 1,000 people, were being pitched as a precautionary measure and training exercise, DPA reported.
US Coast Guard officials said that Haitians had not yet tried to flee the country by sea. This was due both to the massive relief effort underway and the large presence of ships and aircraft in the area, the report said.
The Guantanamo Bay detention centre, which now holds fewer than 200 prisoners, is located on the other side of the bay - around 30 minutes by ferry from the tent site.
US Guantanamo navy base pitches tents for Haitian refugees
