The first American reported to be killed after the earthquake in Haiti had owned a condo in Alexandria, Va., for the past nine years.
Victoria J. DeLong, 57, died on Tuesday after her home in Haiti collapsed.
The cultural affairs officer had been stationed at the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti since February. DeLong spent 37 years as a diplomat for the State Department.
"In one of the most challenging environments in the world, she dedicated herself to educational and cultural exchange between the people of Haiti and the people of the United States," said P.J. Crowley, of the State Department.
Local
Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia local news, events and information
At least three other Americans are known to be missing in Haiti.
Forty-two men and women boarded a plane from Dulles Thursday night to Haiti to help save those still buried in the rubble. They are the second group of rescuers sent to earthquake rubble from Fairfax County Fire & Rescue’s renowned Virginia Task Force One.
"It looks like one of our most challenging missions," said Jim Strickland, Fairfax County Fire and Rescue.
Many of the Fairfax rescuers headed to Haiti have seen their counterparts saving lives on television news reports.
Virginia Task Force One has saved five people, among them, a United Nations worker.
"It makes us anxious to get down there and help out because it sounds like there are many more people there that need to be rescued, so we’re very anxious to get down there and help out where we can," Strickland said.
Other northern Virginia residents are going to help rebuild Haiti. Carpenters, electricians and others are lending their skills to help those who’ve lost so much.
Even those Americans who've survived the earthquake are left dealing with food and water shortages. The U.S. embassy is working to reach out to them. So far, they've made contact with nearly 1,000 of the 45,000 Americans known to have been living in Haiti.
U.Va. Grad Dies in Quake
Stephanie Jean-Charles, a 2009 University of Virginia graduate and master's program student at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy, died in Tuesday's quake, U.Va. officials said.
Jean-Charles received her bachelor's degree in French and foreign affairs in May and became a graduate student at the Batten School. A resident of Port-au-Prince, she was home with her family when the quake struck and suffered a fatal head injury. The other members of her family are safe, according to a cousin.
