At least 30 individuals lost their lives on Saturday due to a stampede in the northern region of Haiti, according to local authorities, who cautioned that the number of fatalities might increase.
Jean Henri Petit, the head of Civil Protection for Haiti’s Nord Department, reported that the incident took place at the Laferriere Citadel, a historic fortress established in the early 1800s shortly following Haiti’s independence from France.
This fortress is one of the country’s most frequented tourist destinations and was filled with students and visitors who had gathered for the annual celebration of the UNESCO World Heritage site.
In a statement, Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé expressed his heartfelt condolences to the families affected by this tragedy, emphasizing his solidarity during this challenging period of grief and suffering.
He acknowledged that “many young people” were present at the Citadel for the festivities, but the identities of the deceased remain unknown, and his statement did not provide a specific estimate of the death toll.
Petit indicated that the stampede occurred at the entrance of the site, with rainfall contributing to the chaos and worsening the situation.
Haiti is a Caribbean nation that occupies the western third of the island of Hispaniola, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Geographically, it is located to the east of Cuba and Jamaica and south of the Bahamas.
