Bermuda's soccer fraternity were shocked yesterday when it was announced that at least 30 members of Haiti's soccer federation, including an undetermined number of players, had died in the country's earthquake.

In a report to world governing body FIFA yesterday, the Caribbean Football Union said the dead included players, referees, coaches and administrative and medical officials of the federation. The federation's headquarters collapsed during last week's earthquake.

The report said federation president Yves Jean Bart was injured but survived the quake.

Horace Burrell of Jamaica, vice-president of the Caribbean Football Union, visited Haiti over the weekend. He said Bart told him that at least 30 federation members had died. Bart said 20 more were still buried in the rubble or unaccounted for.

It was not clear how many players were in the building when it collapsed.

Burrell's report said federation officials were holding a meeting when the quake struck.

David Sabir, secretary general of Bermuda Football Association, said yesterday he was shocked by the loss of life and devastation caused by the quake in Haiti.

"The Bermuda Football Association like the rest of Bermuda and the entire world, is deeply saddened by the tragedy that has taken place in Haiti," he said. "Our sadness runs even further in that our fellow member association of Haiti have suffered many losses. We were shocked by the reports that their federation headquarters collapsed on their football family members."

Sabir said that he and others at the BFA know the president (of the Haitian Football Association) Jean Bart personally and that last week Bart was absent from a FIFA workshop in Trinidad that Sabir and Lance Brown attended.

"But we were relieved when we found out that he (Bart) survived. However, that has quickly turned into sadness because we also know a number of other Haitian federation officials have apparently lost their lives.

"I have personally worked with the president and we see each other and other (Haitian) delegates at FIFA and Concacaf congresses and to know that this has happened to the country and has affected the national association is very difficult to accept."

Sabir added that the BFA would be encouraging all the fans who attend next month's Clyde Best Invitational Youth Tournament at the National Sports Centre to make donations to relief funds for Haiti.

Kyle Lightbourne who was head coach of Bermuda's Under-20 team who travelled to Haiti in late 2006 for a qualifying tournament, said he was shocked when he heard the news about the quake. And when told about the loss of life among the players and federation, he said: "That is so bad. I really feel for them. When I heard about the earthquake I immediately thought back to the time when we were there for that week. It was frightening then. I can only feel for all the people."

Lightbourne who also was in Haiti as a player in the early 1990s with the national team, added: "They have very good players – it is so sad to hear this news."

Paul Scope was assistant coach to Lightbourne when Bermuda's young team travelled to Haiti just over three years ago for the qualifying tournament which saw Bermuda trounced 11-1 by the host nation and beaten 3-1 by Jamaica and 5-1 by the Netherland Antilles.

For Scope and all the players and officials, it was an eye-opening trip to one of the world's poorest countries.

Scope said yesterday: "The minute I heard about it and saw the stadium (where survivors were gathering) it struck me hard. I was travelling in Florida last week when the quake struck and my first thoughts were that the place is tough and desperate in normal times never mind after a catastrophe of this magnitude. And my fears were born out when I saw the devastation (on TV).

"It is so sad that these things happen to places that can least afford or deal with a catastrophe – places like Bangladesh and Haiti.

"I have travelled the world and coached in Cameroon which is not the richest country, but Haiti is beyond anything I have ever experienced. Our young players were wide-eyed at what they saw when travelling around the country. At our hotel we were basically under house arrest (for their own protection) and the trip to the stadium was fraught with danger.

"I remember we had to go up north for one of the games and when we were in the stadium we heard shots. Everywhere we went there were armed escorts with machine guns – I have never had that experience before.

"But having said that they were lovely people and it is so sad to see what is happening now."

Scope said that soccer was a way out for those in the Haitian national team. "While they were not professional in the strictest sense, that is all they did because there is no work in Haiti. They were housed, clothed and fed instead of living on the streets. Playing football is a way out of poverty. Some also played in the MLS and other leagues."

Bermuda also played Haiti in the Concacaf Gold Cup staged in Trinidad in 2007. Bermuda played two matches against Haiti and lost 2-0 and 3-0.

It is believed that a number of Haitian Olympic athletes have also their lives in the quake.

The Haiti national team made one appearance at the World Cup finals, in 1974, but were beaten convincingly in the opening qualifying stages by three of the pre-tournament favourites; Italy, Poland, and Argentina. Their most recent achievement was in 2007, when the national team won the 2007 Caribbean Cup.