At least 15 people died and 40 were left severely injured after a tanker truck carrying gasoline flipped and exploded in Haiti on Saturday, September 14.
Confirming the incident, Prime Minister Garry Conille said, “It’s a horrible scene that we have just experienced, several dozen victims, many of whom were injured and burned very severely, many of whom would have been evacuated to the town of Les Cayes.”
While one of the severely injured persons was transported in a UN helicopter, others were taken to the Saint Boniface hospital, east of Les Cayes.
Reports say the blast occurred as the victims were trying to collect spilled content from the crashed tanker.
The country, with a population of 12 million, has been grappling with fuel shortages due to ongoing gang conflicts, which have made it harder to bring in goods.