At least 30 people were killed and dozens more hospitalized after a stampede at Citadelle Laferriere in Haiti on Saturday. The government said the crush happened during “a tourist activity bringing together many young people” at an annual event celebrating the UNESCO World Heritage site.
“The injured are currently receiving the necessary medical care, and a rescue team is searching for any missing persons,” Culture Minister Emmanuel Menard told the AFP news agency. Local officials warned the death toll could rise because several people remain unaccounted for.
Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime offered his “sincere condolences to the bereaved families and assures them of his profound solidarity during this time of mourning and great suffering.” He said “all competent authorities are fully mobilized and placed on maximum alert to provide, without delay, the necessary assistance, care and support.”
The deadly incident comes as Haiti contends with a wave of gang violence that has disrupted much of the country. Citadelle Laferriere, near the northern port of Cap-Haitien, is a major tourist attraction and currently serves as Haiti’s main gateway to the outside world amid instability in the capital, Port-au-Prince.
The 19th-century fort, built in 1820 to guard against a feared French invasion that never came, stands as a symbol of the enslaved population’s successful revolt and Haiti’s 1804 independence.
Edited by: Karl Sexton