Haiti: Fuel Truck Explosion - Dec 2021

During the night of 13 to 14 December, a tanker truck loaded with fuel overturned, under circumstances which are still unclear, at the eastern entrance to Cap-Haitien, Haiti’s second largest city, between the roundabout at Samari and Pont Grand-Bois. Local residents were rushing to retrieve the fuel when the truck exploded. A precise death toll is not available at this stage. According to the latest figures published by the local authorities, 61 people were killed in the fire, 47 more suffered burn injuries of varying degrees (20 with severe third-degree burns, 27 with light first-degree burns). Vehicles, motorcycles and some 20 houses in the vicinity caught fire as a result of the explosion raising fears of a higher eventual death toll. National authorities are currently assessing the exact number of people injured or killed, especially in the fire-affected houses. (OCHA, 14 Dec 2021)