MILOT — A stampede at Citadelle Laferrière, a mountaintop fortress popular with tourists in Milot, northern Haiti, killed at least 30 people on Saturday.
Haiti's government confirmed the incident in a statement and offered condolences to the families of the victims. The stampede occurred during a tourist activity at the fortress, according to the statement. A search for survivors was underway following the incident at the site in Haiti's Nord Department.
"The Prime Minister of the Republic of Haiti, His Excellency Mr. Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, and the entire Government have learned with deep dismay the tragic incident that occurred this Saturday at the Citadelle Laferrière, in Milot, during a tourist activity bringing together many young people." a government statement read.
Jean Henry Petit serves as the head of civil protection for Haiti's Nord Department, the administrative region where Milot is located. The specific circumstances of the stampede had not been detailed publicly as of Saturday. The full scope of casualties, including the number of people who may have been injured, was not immediately available.