Haiti: Death Toll From Tanker Explosion Increases to 28

Transporting of the Woundeds during the fire, Sept 2024 Photo: @AP

September 16, 2024 Hour: 7:59 pm

The death toll from the explosion of a tanker truck on Saturday in Haiti continues to rise and already amounts to 28, in an event that occurred about 100 kilometers south of the Haitian capital, Civil Protection reported on Monday.

The director general of Civil Protection, Emmanuel Pierre, indicated that there are also 42 wounded, according to the latest provisional balance of this tragedy occurred in the town of Calbassier in Miragoane, in the department of Nippes.

The incident occurred when a tanker hit another truck on the road and its tank was punctured, which was used by local residents to take fuel despite warnings from the driver not to come too close. That’s when the explosion happened.

At a press conference on Monday, the Haitian Minister of Public Health, Georges Fils, expressed his condolences to the families of those who died.

Le Premier ministre, Dr @ConilleGarry a apporté son soutien aux personnes victimes de l’incendie du camion-citerne (de carburant) dans la ville de Miragoâne, le samedi 14 septembre 2024. À la suite d’une visite de solidarité sur les lieux du drame, le même jour, le Chef du… pic.twitter.com/Gnmx0J8ZyE
— Primature de la République d’Haïti (@PrimatureHT) September 14, 2024

Fils said that between Saturday and Sunday 30 victims were evacuated from Nippes to Port-au-Prince after a disaster which, he said, led to the intervention of seven health authorities.

He stressed that, following the instructions of the Prime Minister of Haiti, Garry Conille, all departments of the Ministry of Health were mobilized to provide support to the victims from Saturday morning.