Seven people have been arrested in connection with a deadly stampede at a popular tourist destination in Haiti, the country's national police force says. The incident took place on Saturday during an annual cultural festivity at the Laferrière Citadel, a UNESCO World Heritage site in northern Haiti.
The authorities initially reported that 30 people had been killed, but this number has been revised down to 25. Those arrested include five local police officers and two employees of the country's National Heritage Preservation Institute (ISPAN), which oversees the preservation of Haiti's major landmarks. They are currently in custody pending further legal action, police said.
An investigation into what happened has been launched, but Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé stated on Saturday that the stampede occurred during a tourist event attended by many young people at the site in the town of Milot. He added that three days of national mourning for the victims would begin on Tuesday.
Milot Mayor Wesner Joseph told the Magik9 radio station on Monday that his administration was not aware of any activity planned at the citadel on Saturday and later discovered that a local DJ had invited people there via TikTok.
Jean-Hérold Pérard, the site's engineer and a former ISPAN director, mentioned that one of the site's two entrances had been closed so that local security officials could collect visitors' fees. He claimed that people began trying to force their way in as it started raining, alleging that gunshots were fired into the air and teargas was used - it was not clear by whom. People were pushing each other and some died of asphyxiation especially after they threw tear gas, Pérard noted.
Citadelle Laferrière, also known as Citadelle Henry, was constructed by revolutionary Henri Christophe shortly after Haiti gained independence from France. The stronghold took over a decade to build and was crucial in a network of fortifications to protect the new Caribbean nation from attacks. It has since become a symbol of Haitian independence.
The deadly stampede occurs as Haiti continues to grapple with rampant gang violence that has led to thousands being killed.
The authorities initially reported that 30 people had been killed, but this number has been revised down to 25. Those arrested include five local police officers and two employees of the country's National Heritage Preservation Institute (ISPAN), which oversees the preservation of Haiti's major landmarks. They are currently in custody pending further legal action, police said.
An investigation into what happened has been launched, but Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé stated on Saturday that the stampede occurred during a tourist event attended by many young people at the site in the town of Milot. He added that three days of national mourning for the victims would begin on Tuesday.
Milot Mayor Wesner Joseph told the Magik9 radio station on Monday that his administration was not aware of any activity planned at the citadel on Saturday and later discovered that a local DJ had invited people there via TikTok.
Jean-Hérold Pérard, the site's engineer and a former ISPAN director, mentioned that one of the site's two entrances had been closed so that local security officials could collect visitors' fees. He claimed that people began trying to force their way in as it started raining, alleging that gunshots were fired into the air and teargas was used - it was not clear by whom. People were pushing each other and some died of asphyxiation especially after they threw tear gas, Pérard noted.
Citadelle Laferrière, also known as Citadelle Henry, was constructed by revolutionary Henri Christophe shortly after Haiti gained independence from France. The stronghold took over a decade to build and was crucial in a network of fortifications to protect the new Caribbean nation from attacks. It has since become a symbol of Haitian independence.
The deadly stampede occurs as Haiti continues to grapple with rampant gang violence that has led to thousands being killed.
