In brief
Seven people, including five police officers, have been arrested following a devastating stampede at the Laferrière Citadel during an annual cultural event in Haiti. Although initial reports estimated 30 fatalities, the number has since been revised to 25. Authorities are investigating the causes of the stampede, which involved unauthorized crowd control measures and led to national mourning starting Tuesday.
Seven people have been arrested in connection with a deadly stampede at a popular tourist destination in Haiti, the country's national police force says. The incident took place on Saturday during an annual cultural festivity at the Laferrière Citadel, a UNESCO World Heritage site in northern Haiti. The authorities initially reported that 30 people had been killed but this number has been revised down to 25.Those arrested include five local police officers and two employees of the country's National Heritage Preservation Institute (ISPAN), which oversees the preservation of Haiti's major landmarks. They are currently in custody pending further legal action, police said.An investigation into what happened has been launched but Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé said on Saturday that the stampede happened during a tourist event attended by many young people at the site, in the town of Milot. He added that three days of national mourning for the victims would begin on Tuesday.Milot Mayor Wesner Joseph told the Magik9 radio station on Monday that his administration was not aware of any activity planned at the citadel on Saturday, and that they had later found out that a local DJ had invited people there via TikTok.Jean-Hérold Pérard, the site's engineer and a former ISPAN director, told the Haitian Times that one of the site's two entrances had been closed so that local security officials could collect visitors' fees. He said people began trying to force their way in as it started raining and alleged that gunshots were fired into the air and teargas was used - it was not clear by whom.People were pushing each other and some died of asphyxiation especially after they threw tear gas, Pérard said.Citadelle Laferrière, also known as Citadelle Henry, was built by revolutionary Henri Christophe shortly after Haiti gained independence from France. The stronghold took more than a decade to construct and was a crucial part of a network of fortifications to protect the new Caribbean island nation against attacks. The site has since become a symbol of Haitian independence.The deadly stampede comes as Haiti grapples with widespread gang violence that has led to thousands being killed.
