Port-au-Prince.– Haiti's quake death toll officially stands at 180,000, but it is feared that it could be much higher, a government spokesperson said, adding that new victims were being found every day. 

Haitian President Rene Preval Saturday apologized for his long silence during the two and a half weeks since the massive earthquake that destroyed the capital city. Haitian elections scheduled for the end of February were to be postponed for two years, officials said.

In his first interview with a domestic broadcaster, TVC, Preval answered repeated complaints by Haitians that he had not been a visible presence in the rubble of the destroyed city. "A president is also only a human being and the worst pain is silent," he said.

Preval said he only escaped injury on January 12 because he had left the presidential palace earlier than usual, right before it was crushed by the quake. Instead, he was at his residence in the gardens, playing with one of his grandchildren: "My first reflex was to protect the child with my body."

He also described how he had taken a motorcycle taxi through the city, to get an overview of the extent of damage. "I felt defeated and powerless in face of the catastrophe," he said. Preval criticized the lack of consultation with the government and coordination among countries bringing a flood of aid after the January 12 earthquake.