Haiti (SONNA) – Haitian authorities on Tuesday searched for victims from a fuel truck explosion in the city of Cap-Haitian that killed at least 60 people, amid reports that nearby residents had attempted to take fuel from the vehicle before it exploded.
Hundreds of people on Tuesday remained at the scene of Monday night’s blast, including shocked neighbors looking for loved ones amid destroyed houses, as well as people attempting to dismantle the charred remains of the truck for scrap metal.
“I am very concerned about the number of people who died,” said 64-year-old Justorme Louis Fils, who lives near the scene of the explosion. “I can identify some of the houses of people I know, but I can’t identify them among the victims.”
The truck had flipped over as it was seeking to avoid running over a motorcycle, he said.
Haitian newspaper Le Nouvelliste quoted Patrick Almonor of the Cap-Haitien municipal commission as saying, “Local residents were flocking to the truck when the explosion occurred.”
Severe fuel shortages in recent months have left many Haitians desperate to ensure supplies of gasoline.
Source : Reuters
