At least 30 people were killed in a stampede in northern Haiti on Saturday during celebrations at a tourist site that includes an old military fortress, the government announced Sunday.
Culture and Communication Minister Emmanuel Ménard confirmed to AFP that "30 people died" at the Laferrière fortress.
He added, "The injured are currently receiving the necessary medical care, and a rescue team is searching for any missing persons," noting that an investigation has been launched and the site closed until further notice.
The newspaper Le Nouvelliste reported that the stampede occurred during celebrations held at the fortress, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Death toll rises
The fortress dates back to the 19th century and sits at an altitude of 900 meters within a national park, 15 kilometers south of Cap-Haïtien, Haiti's second-largest city.
In a statement posted on Facebook, Prime Minister Alex Didier Vésse-Aimé and his government said they "received with deep sorrow the news of the tragic incident that occurred on Saturday at the Laferrière fortress in Millau."
Le Nouveliste quoted Jean-Henri Petit, director of the Civil Protection Office in northern Haiti, as saying he expected the death toll to rise due to the large number of missing persons. The newspaper
reported that the stampede occurred when "an exceptionally large crowd gathered for traditional ceremonies" at the fortress, and because there was only one entrance, a fight broke out between those trying to enter and those trying to exit, leading to the fatal crush.
