Authorities announced that 24 people were killed when a tanker truck exploded in southwest Haiti on Saturday. Witnesses claimed that the victims had been attempting to gather petrol that was pouring from the vehicle.
About 40 individuals were hurt in the explosion in Miragoane, some of them had burns over most of their bodies, according to Emmanuel Pierre, the president of Haiti’s civil protection department, who spoke with AFP.
According to Pierre, the number of fatalities was raised from 16 earlier in the day when rescuers found more burnt corpses close to the explosion site.
About 100 kilometres (60 miles) west of the capital Port-au-Prince, near the port city of Miragoane, is where the injured were sent to Sainte Therese Hospital.
Later, six were flown to specialised medical facilities in Port-au-Prince.Thirteen others who were supposed to be transferred will remain in Miragoane due to burns covering more than 80% of their bodies, which prevented them from being transported.
Pierre reported that in order to address the catastrophe, acting prime minister Garry Conille summoned an emergency meeting of the government.
Years of turmoil have beset Haiti, and criminal gangs have all but taken over the country’s capital.
On September 5, prominent US diplomat Anthony Blinken paid a rare visit to Haiti, where he pledged $45 million in aid and emphasised the importance of holding elections, which have not been held since 2016.
Concerning the long-term viability of the Kenyan-led police force that arrived two months ago with the mission of stabilising Port-au-Prince and beyond, Blinken also expressed concern.
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