More Than 60 People Killed in Haiti After Fuel Truck Explosion; Death Toll Expected to Rise

Over 60 people were killed after a fuel truck explosion in Haiti at the country's second-largest city Cap-Haitien, the country's health ministry confirmed.

Local media reported that the death toll is seen to rise after the fuel truck overturned in the area of Sanmarie on the eastern end of the city, The Guardian reported.

Mayor Pierre Yvrose said on Tuesday that the local hospital was being strained as it tries to treat the injured. Meanwhile, the number of wounded was still not known.

Bodies were covered in white sheets on the ground as rescue workers cleaned up the debris of the explosion. Shops and fronts of houses were also affected by the explosion, with motorbikes and cars not escaping the impact.

Haiti's Prime Minister Ariel Henry wrote on Twitter to talk about the fuel tanker's explosion. Henry said that he had just learned about the "sad news" of the explosion.

Fuel Truck Explosion Aftermath

The government committed three days to mourn the dead from the explosion.

Pictures of the explosion were posted on social media, with one witness describing the incident as "hell," according to a BBC News report.

One nurse at the Justinien University Hospital said that they do not have the ability to treat the number of seriously burned people, adding that she is afraid they will not be able "to save them all."

A local doctor said that they are overwhelmed with the number of victims of the blast.

Pierre said they need human resources and material resources such as serum, gauze, and anything that can be used to treat serious burns.

Henry traveled to the scene on Tuesday along with doctors and health workers. The government has also announced its plans to set up field hospitals in the area of those affected.

Tension in Haiti

The country is still regaining its balance after President Jovenel Moise was assassinated in July. It was then struck by a deadly earthquake, severe flooding, and a series of kidnappings perpetrated by criminal gangs.

In addition, the gangs have gained control access to fuel terminals, blocking deliveries over the past few months, according to The New York Times report.

The blockage of the deliveries caused severe shortages among Haitians. Witnesses said that some in Cap-Haitien were willing to risk approaching the blasted fuel truck on Wednesday to collect gas.

Jhonky Joseph, a student who lost some of his classmates in the fire, said that the state is guilty of what happened.

Joseph noted that people will see "these kind of things" when there is no state present.

Gangs in the country, not the government, now control the large areas of the country.

The gangs have taken it to their advantage with Haitians' desperate need for fuel.

In October, many truck drivers refused to work in a nationwide strike that paralyzed the country.

Gangs have also become increasingly dauntless in kidnapping people en masse and targeting everyone from school children to missionaries.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

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