A magnitude 7 earthquake in the highly populated city of Port-au-Prince in 2010 killed at least 200,000 people.

Authorities reported an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 4.9 slammed southern Haiti early Tuesday, killing at least four people and wounding 36 others.

According to the US Geological Survey, the quake struck before morning near the southwestern coastal city of Jeremie at a depth of 10 miles.

"I thought the whole house was going to fall on top of me," Eric Mpitabakana, a World Food Programme administrator in Jeremie, told the Associated Press over the phone.

According to Haiti's Civil Protection Agency, the earthquake caused the collapse of two homes and the closure of a critical highway between Jeremie and Les Cayes.

Three of those killed were discovered under a collapsed house where rescuers were looking for more victims, according to Frankel Maginaire of Haiti's Civil Protection Agency in Jeremie.

He stated that numerous youngsters were taken to the hospital with injuries sustained as they panicked and ran.

As they searched for survivors in the wreckage, a throng formed around one of the fallen homes.

At least one person was brought out covered in a sheet.

Mr. Mpitabakana stated that objects had fallen around his home and that he and his coworkers are considering sleeping outside if there are significant aftershocks.

"There were so many people out on the street, and there was a lot of panic," he recounted of the aftermath of the earthquake.

According to Claude Prepetit, a geologist and engineer of Haiti's Bureau of Mines and Energy, lesser earthquakes in southern Haiti earlier this year triggered the larger one that struck Tuesday.

The earthquake occurred over two years after a 7.2 magnitude earthquake rocked southern Haiti, killing over 2,200 people and causing extensive damage to Les Cayes. Some of those who lost their houses in August are still residing in camps. In a phone conversation, Paul Pierre, a driver for a humanitarian group located in Jeremie, told the AP that he was just waking up when he felt the house quake.

"Everyone ran outside with their children, with their babies," he explained. "There were some houses that collapsed."

Mr. Pierre stated that he remained cool and took cover until the ground stopped shaking, adding that he is accustomed to earthquakes.

A magnitude 7 earthquake in the heavily populated city of Port-au-Prince in 2010 killed at least 200,000 people and destroyed many structures. The earthquake on Tuesday comes as Haiti battles to recover from massive rains that killed at least 51 people, wounded 140, and flooded roughly 31,600 houses over the weekend.

Ariel Henry, Prime Minister, has solicited international aid.