26 dead in Haiti after gas tanker explodes

A tragic fuel truck explosion in Haiti has left at least 26 people dead and dozens more severely injured, according to local authorities. The incident occurred on Saturday near the coastal city of Miragoane, about 100 kilometers west of Port-au-Prince.

A fuel tanker collided with another vehicle, causing it to overturn and leak gasoline onto the road. As people rushed to collect the spilled fuel, the tanker erupted into a massive explosion, engulfing those nearby.

Haitian Prime Minister Garry Conille, who visited the site and met with some of the victims, described the devastation: “It’s a horrible scene we’ve just lived through. Many dozens of victims, wounded, severely burned.” Conille made the remarks at Port-au-Prince airport, where several of the most severely injured were being airlifted for specialized treatment in the capital. He vowed to do everything in his power to ensure that those injured received the medical care they desperately needed.

Emergency services reported that of the approximately 40 people who survived, more than half suffered third-degree burns, with some having burns over 80% of their bodies. “It was mostly men who were injured,” said one emergency services worker. However, among the injured were also three women and a child. The head of Haiti’s Civil Protection Agency, Emmanuel Pierre, confirmed that the death toll had initially stood at 16 but was later revised upwards to 26 after more bodies were discovered near the explosion site.

A witness to the explosion, who spoke anonymously to local outlet Echo Haiti Media, described the chaotic scene: “There were a lot of people. Those who were close to the truck got pulverized.” According to the witness, the tanker’s fuel tank had been punctured in the crash, and people gathered in an attempt to scoop up the leaking fuel when the explosion occurred.

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Authorities are still working to transfer several more of the most critically injured to larger hospitals. Six patients have already been flown to Port-au-Prince for advanced care, and 12 others are expected to follow. Haiti’s emergency services also reported that a 31-year-old man and two 23-year-old men, all suffering from burns over 89% of their bodies, were being treated in the southern city of Les Cayes.

This latest disaster has grim echoes of a similar tragedy that occurred in 2021 in the northern city of Cap-Haitien. In that incident, a fuel truck overturned, and as people rushed to gather fuel, a massive explosion resulted in the deaths of 75 people. The blast unleashed a fireball that swept through nearby homes and businesses, devastating the area. Many of the fatalities were onlookers and locals attempting to collect fuel.

Fuel shortages have been a significant problem in Haiti, with deliveries to areas like Miragoane increasingly disrupted due to the presence of violent gangs that control many of the highways leading to and from the capital. To avoid the gang-controlled routes, fuel trucks are often transported via ferries, but shortages persist, driving desperate citizens to take dangerous risks like collecting spilled fuel.

The explosion has compounded the already dire humanitarian crisis Haiti faces. The country has been under a state of emergency as it battles widespread gang violence, mass displacements, sexual violence, child recruitment, and rampant hunger. Gangs have taken control of large portions of Port-au-Prince and its surrounding areas, further destabilizing the country and complicating the delivery of vital resources such as fuel, food, and medical supplies.

Prime Minister Conille, addressing the crisis, pledged his government’s commitment to ensuring the victims received proper care but acknowledged the immense challenges the country continues to face. “We are doing all we can,” he said, “but the situation remains extremely difficult.”