PORT-AU-PRINCE: Authorities reported that at least 30 individuals lost their lives in a stampede during a crowded tourist event at Haiti’s historic Laferriere Citadel, with officials cautioning that the number of fatalities may increase.
The incident took place in northern Haiti amid celebratory activities at the popular tourist site.
Local news sources, referencing Haitian officials, indicated that many more were injured, and civil protection teams anticipated a rise in the death toll due to numerous individuals reported missing.
The catastrophe unfolded on Saturday at the mountaintop fortress, known as Citadelle Laferrière, where students and attendees gathered for an annual celebration, according to civil protection representatives.
Jean Henri Petit, who heads civil protection in Haiti’s Nord department, stated that the stampede occurred at or near the entrance of the site and was exacerbated by rain, which made the situation more perilous as the crowd became agitated.
Constructed in the early 19th century shortly after Haiti’s independence from France, the citadel stands as one of the nation’s most frequented landmarks and symbolizes its historical legacy.
The government of Haiti extended its sympathies to the families of the victims, while ongoing rescue and recovery operations continued amid concerns that additional bodies could still be uncovered.