Tanker explosion kills dozens in Haiti

A gasoline truck overturned and exploded in northern Haiti just after midnight on Tuesday, unleashing a fireball that swept through homes and businesses. The blast killed at least 60 people in the coastal city of Cap-Haitien. Hours after the explosion, officials at the city’s largest hospital pleaded for basic supplies and more medical staff as patients overwhelmed the facility. Prime Minister Ariel Henry, formerly a doctor, visited a hospital where bandaged victims were fighting for their lives on the floor because the beds were full. First responders expect to find more bodies as they dig through the rubble. Henry declared three days of national mourning. 

What caused the explosion? Initial reports said the tanker flipped after swerving to avoid an oncoming motorcycle. Haiti struggles with a severe shortage of fuel and spiraling gas prices. Onlookers rushed to the tanker to salvage the gasoline, likely to resell on the black market, but a nearby smoldering pile of trash ignited the spilled fuel. The blast gutted at least 50 homes.

Dig deeper: Read Jamie Dean’s latest WORLD Magazine report on gang violence in Haiti.