PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti: A celebratory event turned into a national tragedy as more than 30 tourists were killed and dozens more injured during a massive stampede at a historic fortress in northern Haiti. The disaster occurred at La Ferrière Citadel (locally referred to as La Frère Fort), a landmark 19th-century structure built following Haiti’s independence from France.
Jean-Henri, the head of the civil defence department for Haiti’s Nord department, confirmed that the site was densely packed with students and tourists gathered to commemorate an annual ceremony for the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Local authorities have warned that the death toll may continue to rise as emergency teams assess the scale of the casualties.
In a formal statement, Haitian Prime Minister Alexis Didier offered his “heartfelt condolences” to the families of the victims, expressing deep sympathy for those enduring this period of profound grief and pain. Located in the Caribbean, east of Cuba and Jamaica and south of the Bahamas, Haiti has long looked to its historic sites as symbols of national pride, making this incident particularly devastating for the region.
