MEXICO CITY, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- At least 1,297 people have died in a strong earthquake that struck Haiti on Saturday morning, the nation's civil protection agency said in an updated statement on Twitter on Sunday.

The agency posted a statistical breakdown of the fatalities, saying 1,054 deaths are registered in the Sud (department), 119 in the Grand'Anse (department), 122 in the Nippes (department) and 2 in the Nord-Ouest (department).

The injuries also doubled to more than 5,700, according to the civil protection agency, which reported earlier Sunday that 724 deaths and over 2,800 injuries have been recorded from the earthquake.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday expressed his sadness over the tragic loss of life and injuries caused by the large earthquake that struck the southern part of Haiti on Saturday.

Through a statement attributable to his spokesperson Stephane Dujarric, the UN chief "extends his deep condolences to the families of the victims and to the government and people of Haiti."

"The United Nations, together with the humanitarian community in Haiti, is supporting the government's efforts to assist those affected by the earthquake and stands ready to provide further backing to the response," said the statement.