At least 15 people lost their lives and 40 others suffered severe burns in a gasoline tanker explosion in Haiti, according to the country’s Prime Minister.
Sixteen of the injured were transferred to hospitals in Fonds des Blancs and Les Cayes, located near the accident site in the Nippes Department, as announced by Prime Minister Garry Conille on the social media platform X.
Emergency airborne evacuation being organized
An emergency airborne evacuation was being organized by the prime minister’s office, in coordination with the national health authority, Médecins Sans Frontières, and the World Health Organization, to swiftly transport the injured to the capital, Port-au-Prince, Conille noted.
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Preliminary reports indicated the explosion occurred in the area of Morne Calbassier in Miragoane. Authorities stated that the 16 victims were completely charred and unrecognizable. A witness, who preferred to remain anonymous, shared that the truck’s gas tank was punctured by another vehicle, which led to a crowd gathering to collect the spilled fuel. The witness mentioned that those closest to the truck were obliterated in the explosion, as reported by Echo Haiti Media.
Gasoline truck collides with a stalled vehicle
According to witnesses, the incident started when the gasoline truck’s tank was damaged in a collision with a stalled vehicle. Local residents approached the wreckage to gather the leaking fuel, as reported by Spanish broadcaster RTVE. Despite the driver’s warnings to stay away, some residents were killed when the tanker exploded.
Officials also reported that up to 20 motorcycles and cars were destroyed in the accident.
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