The explosion of a tanker truck with fuel left at least 60 dead in northern Haiti, said on Tuesday (14) the deputy mayor of Cap-Haitien, Patrick Almonord. Dozens of people were injured and transported to hospitals in the city, the second largest in Haiti.
The explosion occurred on Monday night, when about 100 people were looting the vehicle, which had been involved in an accident in Pont Grand Bois et Samarie, a neighborhood in the center of Cap-Haitien.
The high number of injuries has overwhelmed the city’s medical centers and the government has announced it will create field hospitals. Several injured people were treated on the floor of a hospital due to the lack of beds, according to images circulating on social networks.
The accident comes at a time when the country is still facing fuel supply problems, which were triggered last October by the action of armed groups.
Scarcity led to widespread informal trade and turned fuel into a precious commodity, with prices rising both at service stations and in the underground market.
Last week, the Haitian government announced a sharp increase in the price of oil products, ranging between 24% for gasoline and 108% for diesel.
Haiti is experiencing one of the most serious crises in recent decades, which has become particularly acute since the assassination of President Jovenel Moise on 7 July.
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