Cap-Haitien, Haiti
Reuters
The death toll from a fuel truck explosion in Haiti rose to 75 on Wednesday as doctors scrambled to treat the wounded from an incident that officials say was made more deadly by residents approaching the vehicle in a desperate search for fuel.
Rescue workers recovered 61 bodies at the site of the accident, which took place late on Monday in Haiti’s second-largest city of Cap-Haitien, while a director of the city’s main hospital said a further 14 people had died while being treated for wounds.
People look into a burnt car for scrap metal after a fuel truck exploded killing dozens of people amid reports that nearby residents had attempted to take fuel from the vehicle before it exploded, in Cap Haitien, Haiti, on 15th December. PICTURE: Reuters/Ralph Tedy Erol
“We need all the help we can get. The hospital is not used to having so many injured,” said Jean Gracia Coq, medical director at the Justinien University Hospital.
“The shortages have made people let down their guard and not take the precautions that should be taken with regards to fuel.”
‘POOR HAITI, ONE THING AFTER ANOTHER,’ POPE SAYS OF DEADLY BLAST
Pope Francis on Wednesday asked for prayers for the victims of a fuel truck explosion that killed at least 60 people in Haiti, lamenting that the country was being hit by one tragedy after another.
“Poor Haiti, one thing after another,” Francis said at his weekly general audience. “They are a people who are suffering. Let us pray, pray for Haiti. They are good people, good people, religious people. But they are suffering much.”
The explosion in Cap-Haitien in the north of the country followed the destabilising effects of the July assassination of President Jovenel Moise, which created a political vacuum and allowed criminal groups to expand their territory.
Haiti also suffered a devastating earthquake in August that killed more than 2,000 people.
“I invite you to join me in prayer for these brothers and sisters of ours who are undergoing such difficult trials,” Francis said.
– PHILIP PULLELLA, Vatican City/Reuters
Patients with burns on as much as 50 per cent of their bodies were on the hospital’s porch due to lack of space inside the facility, Gracia Coq said.
The hospital is accustomed to treating burn victims from explosions in homes, incidents that have involved up to 20 people, Gracia Coq said.
But Monday night’s major blast charred the facades of several homes and shops nearby, as well as destroying cars and motorcycles on the street.
A witness told Reuters that the fuel truck had flipped over after its driver tried to avoid hitting a motorcycle.
Rescue workers have completed the search of the area, said Frandy Jean, who heads Haiti’s fire brigade for the northern region.
“They were warned”
The impact of the blast was worsened because residents were storing fuel in their homes and because some approached the truck when it flipped.
“The driver had warned the people not to go near the truck,” Jean told Reuters. “They did not listen. They were carrying their telephones, which they used [as flashlights], and some tried to perforate the tank with hammers.”
Prime Minister Ariel Henry on Tuesday visited Cap-Haitien’s main hospital to meet with victims. He promised to release government funds in response to the tragedy, and said the deceased would be buried in an official state funeral.
Wednesday marked the first of three days of national mourning for the victims.
Haiti suffered crippling fuel shortages for close to a month starting in October when a coalition of gangs blocked access to fuel terminals, forcing some businesses and hospitals to partially or completely shut down.
The gangs last month lifted the blockade, but many Haitians say they still struggle to find fuel.
Gangs have grown more powerful since the July assassination of President Jovenel Moise, which created a political vacuum and allowed criminal groups to expand their territory.
Haiti also suffered a devastating earthquake in August that killed more than 2,000 people and destroyed homes in the country’s southern peninsula.
