Two and a half years after a devastating earthquake ravaged Haiti, crews have begun to demolish the National Palace.
An aid group led by Hollywood star Sean Penn on Friday began the three-month demolition task. It is not clear when the palace will be rebuilt.
The magnitude 7.0 quake on January 12, 2010 reduced dozens of government and private buildings to rubble within 25 kilometers of Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital. It claimed the lives of 300,000 people and left 1.5 million others homeless.
Haiti is getting help from the United States to build 5,000 homes and develop an industrial park that is expected to generate 40,000 jobs.