At least 30 people were killed on Saturday in a stampede at Haiti’s Laferrière Citadel World Heritage Site, with authorities warning that the death toll could rise.
Jean Henri Petit, head of Civil Protection for Haiti’s Nord Department, said the 19th-century fortress was packed with students and visitors, who had gathered for annual celebrations marking the building’s UNESCO listing.
Petit said the stampede occurred at the entrance to the mountaintop site and that rain exacerbated the disaster.
Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé said in a statement that he extended “his sincere condolences to the bereaved families" and assured them of his "profound solidarity during this time of mourning and great suffering."
Fils-Aimé added that the incident occurred during a “tourist activity involving many young people.”
The statement said that authorities had been placed on “maximum alert” to provide care and assistance to the bereaved and their friends and relatives.
“The government is monitoring the situation carefully and urges people to be calm and show caution, while waiting for the results of investigations to determine the exact circumstances of this tragedy,” the statement added.
Citadelle Laferrière was commissioned by Haitian revolutionary Henri Christophe after the Haitian Revolution to help defend the newly independent country from potential French attacks.
The deadly stampede comes as Haiti is grappling with widespread violence by gangs that have massacred civilians, as well as an increasingly deadly crackdown by security forces.
The island nation has also been the site of various disasters in recent years, including a 2024 fuel tank explosion that killed two dozen people, another fuel tank blast in 2021 that killed 90 people and an earthquake that left some 2,000 people dead that same year.
U.S. and Pakistani leaders forecast a Sunday signing of a long-elusive framework agreement to end fighting between the United States and Iran, but Teh...
Romania's centrist President Nicușor Dan on Sunday designated Adrian Veștea, a member of the liberal party, as prime minister, after independent can...
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has urged Georgia to implement reforms to tackle youth unemployment. Nearly 30 per cent of people aged 15-24 ar...
North Korea said on Sunday, 14 June, that denuclearisation is a matter that is irreversibly terminated, in a condemnation of recent nuclear deterren...
British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to publish the UK government's long-awaited Defence Investment Plan ahead of next month's NATO sum...
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has urged Georgia to implement reforms to tackle youth unemployment. Nearly 30 per cent of people aged 15-24 are without a job in the country, according to World Bank data.
British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to publish the UK government's long-awaited Defence Investment Plan ahead of next month's NATO summit in Ankara, following growing pressure over the UK's military spending commitments.
Hundreds of protesters have torn down fences surrounding a planned luxury development site in Albania, as public anger continues to mount over construction in environmentally sensitive areas.
George Russell continued Mercedes's dominant qualifying form by securing pole position for the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, while Lewis Hamilton ensured an all British front row with second place for Ferrari.
Pakistan has warned that any attempt by India to block or significantly reduce river flows under the Indus Waters Treaty could have “far-reaching consequences”, after India's water minister said New Delhi was working to ensure that “not a single drop” of water reaches Pakistan in the coming years.
SpaceX made a historic entrance into the Nasdaq on Friday, surging over 20% in its first day of trading and lifting its valuation to more than $2 trillion. Investors flocked to the world’s largest IPO, betting on Elon Musk’s sprawling empire spanning rockets, AI and beyond.
Armenia has every right to choose Europe. But Europe’s support for Armenia’s direction should not become automatic approval of its political process.
U.S. President Donald Trump has said a peace agreement with Iran is scheduled to be signed on Sunday in a post on social media, despite Tehran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei saying no deal would be approved this weekend.
Japan’s birth rate and fertility levels have fallen to their lowest levels on record, highlighting the country’s worsening demographic crisis as fewer people marry and have children.
Romania's centrist President Nicușor Dan on Sunday designated Adrian Veștea, a member of the liberal party, as prime minister, after independent candidate Eugen Tomac withdrew.
North Korea said on Sunday, 14 June, that denuclearisation is a matter that is irreversibly terminated, in a condemnation of recent nuclear deterrence talks between the U.S. and South Korea.
British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to publish the UK government's long-awaited Defence Investment Plan ahead of next month's NATO summit in Ankara, following growing pressure over the UK's military spending commitments.
British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer says British armed forces intercepted a Russian shadow fleet oil tanker early on Sunday, as it attempted to pass through the English Channel.
Hundreds of protesters have torn down fences surrounding a planned luxury development site in Albania, as public anger continues to mount over construction in environmentally sensitive areas.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment