The explosion caught fire in “around 20” houses in the area. (Representative)
Port-au-Prince:
At least 50 people were killed when a gas tanker exploded in the Haitian town of Cap-Haitien on Tuesday morning, according to a local official, with local doctors saying the toll was expected to rise.
“I saw 50 to 54 people burning alive at the scene,” Deputy Mayor Patrick Almoner said. “It’s impossible to recognize them.”
Almonor also said that “about 20” houses in the area were set on fire by the explosion.
“We are yet to give details about the number of victims inside the homes,” he said.
The injured were rushed to the facility, as the nearby Justinian University Hospital was overwhelmed with patients.
“We don’t have the capacity to treat the number of people with severe burns,” a nurse told AFP.
“I’m afraid we won’t be able to save them all,” she said.
Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry said the explosion killed “about 40 people” and injured dozens, as he set a period of national mourning.
“I learned with sadness and emotion the terrible news of the explosion of a gas tanker last night in Cap-Haitien,” he tweeted.
“Three days of national mourning will be declared throughout the country in memory of the victims of this tragedy, which has devastated the entire Haitian nation,” he said.
Ariel said field hospitals would be rapidly deployed to help care for the blast victims.
According to Almoner, it appears that the truck driver lost control as he turned to avoid the motorcycle cab and the tanker overturned.
Almonor said fuel spilled onto the road and pedestrians rushed to collect the tanker’s gas, which is currently in short supply as criminal gangs’ tight grip on the Haiti capital Port-au-Prince caused serious fuel shortages. suffering from shortage.
The Caribbean nation has never produced enough electricity to meet the needs of the entire population. Even in affluent parts of the capital, the state-run Haiti Electric Utility provides electricity for only a few hours a day.
Those who can afford it rely on expensive generators, which are no help in the face of severe fuel shortages caused by gangs blocking access to the country’s oil terminals in the capital and its outskirts.
(Except for the title, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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