A tourist outing on Saturday at one of Haiti’s most historic and famous fortresses turned into chaos and then terror, after a stampeding crowd crushed dozens of tourists to death, the authorities said.
Haitian officials estimated that at least 30 people had died during the stampede and that the toll was expected to rise.
The stampede took place at the Citadelle Laferrière, a large 19th-century fortress in northern Haiti. Despite security threats elsewhere in the country, the region surrounding the fortress is considered one of the most stable and popular tourist destinations, mostly among Haitian nationals.
“National authorities express their deep sorrow and immense sadness,” the office of Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé said in a statement. “All relevant authorities are fully mobilized and on high alert to provide immediate assistance, care and support to those affected and their families.”
Many young people, the statement added, were on the site, apparently to commemorate the fortress’s anniversary.
Many in the country widely regard the Citadelle Laferrière as a symbol of sovereignty and resistance against French colonialism. The massive building was commissioned by Henri Christophe, Haiti’s first and longest reigning king, to defend the nation from another possible invasion, and it is sometimes known as Citadelle Henri Christophe.
The fortress is such a national icon that it appears on Haitian currency, postage stamps and tourism promotions.
Haitian officials started an investigation to determine the exact circumstances under which the stampede took place, the minister of culture and communication, Emmanuel Ménard, said in an audio message, “so everyone knows what happened.”
Preliminary reports, he said, suggested that as rain started to fall on Saturday, chaos broke out at the entrance of the fortress.
“While some people wanted to leave, others were trying to enter,” Mr. Ménard said. “People began pushing. Some fell, and others trampled over them. Consequently, some people died from suffocation.”
At least 13 bodies remained at the fortress, while another 17 had been transported to a hospital in a nearby town, according to Mr. Ménard, who said that all visits to the fortress have been suspended until further notice. More people were receiving care at the hospital, he added.
Emiliano Rodríguez Mega is a reporter and researcher for The Times based in Mexico City, covering Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean.
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