Tanker explosion in Haiti leaves at least 15 dead

On September 15, 2024, news from Port-au-Prince, Haiti. A gasoline tanker truck overturned and exploded in Haiti, causing serious consequences. Prime Minister Gary Conille said the accident left at least 15 people dead and another 40 seriously injured. Earlier, media reports put the death toll at 17.

Haiti's hospitals are poorly equipped to deal with victims of severe burns. The country of 12 million people has been facing fuel shortages, and fighting between gangs has made it more difficult to import goods. Saturday's explosion occurred in Miragoâne, a city of 60,000 people that was hit by a strong earthquake three years ago.

In 2021, a similar tragedy occurred in Cap-Haïtien, Haiti's second-largest city. After a tanker truck overturned, it caused a fireball, killing 75 people. Some of the victims at that time were bystanders who rushed to the tanker truck to try to scoop up fuel. This accident once again highlights the many difficulties Haiti is facing.