Hundreds of people remained on Tuesday at the site of the blast, including shocked neighbors searching for their loved ones amid destroyed homes, as well as people trying to dismantle the charred remains of the truck for scrap metal.
“I am very concerned about the death toll,” said Gostrom Louis Fels, 64, who lives near the site of the blast. “I can recognize some of the homes of people I know, but I can’t recognize them among the victims.”
He said the truck overturned while trying to avoid running on a motorcycle, according to Reuters.
“Local people were flocking to the truck when the explosion occurred,” Patrick El Monor of the Cap-Haitien Municipal Committee was quoted by the Haitian newspaper Le Nouvelleste.
Severe fuel shortages in recent months have left many Haitians in dire need of securing gasoline supplies.
Earlier, rescue workers loaded bodies covered with white sheets into trucks to take them away. The blast damaged nearby homes and shops and destroyed motorbikes and cars.
Prime Minister Ariel Henry visited Justinen University Hospital, where he treats most of the victims.
“We are saddened that so many people have been infected and so many people have died,” Henry said at a news conference.
Health Ministry official Laurie Adrian said four people died in hospital from their injuries, and that 15 people had been transferred to other facilities. He said the full death toll was not yet known.
An alliance of gangs shut down gas stations for about a month starting in October, leading to widespread shortages of petrol and diesel forcing many businesses to close.
The gangs lifted the blockade last month, but many Haitians say they are still struggling for fuel. The government announced last week a fuel price hike due to the cost of the current subsidy.
The gangs have grown more powerful since the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in July, creating a political vacuum and allowing criminal groups to expand their territory.
Haiti was also hit by a devastating earthquake in August that killed more than 2,000 people and destroyed homes in the country’s southern peninsula.
HF