PORT-AU-PRINCE, April 11 (Reuters) — A devastating crowd surge claimed the lives of at least 30 individuals on Saturday at a historic fortress in northern Haiti, with officials cautioning the fatality count may climb higher.
The tragic incident unfolded at the Laferriere Citadel, according to Jean Henri Petit, who leads Civil Protection for Haiti’s Nord Department. The fortress, constructed in the early 1800s following Haiti’s liberation from French colonial rule, became the scene of the deadly crowd crush.
The UNESCO World Heritage landmark draws thousands of visitors annually and ranks among Haiti’s premier tourist destinations. Saturday’s tragedy struck during the site’s yearly heritage festival, which had drawn large crowds of students and sightseers to the historic mountaintop fortress.
