Dozens killed in stampede at Haitian tourist spot

At least 25 people died over the weekend during a stampede at the Citadel Laferrière, a historic site in northern Haiti. Another 30 people were injured during the stampede at the mountain top tourist spot on Saturday. Officials found 12 bodies when they arrived on the scene, and another 13 died after being transported to the hospital, according to a translated statement from the Haitian National Police released on Sunday.

What caused the stampede? Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime described the tragedy occurring during a tourist activity that brought many young people together, according to a Saturday statement. The city of Cap-Haïtien also cited an influx of visitors gathering at the historic site for traditional festivities, according to a separate Saturday statement. Severe crowding and poor management caused a scrambled, panicked movement that caused numerous cases of suffocation, stumbling, and fainting, Cap-Haïtien officials added. Police opened an investigation but gave no further details on what sparked the fatal incident.

Dig deeper: Listen to Mary Muncy’s report on The World and Everything in It about the fragility of Haiti’s democracy amid mass gang control.