On 14 December 2021, a fuel

tank truck A tank truck, gas truck, fuel truck, or tanker truck (American English) or tanker (British English) is a motor vehicle designed to carry liquids or gases on roads. The largest such vehicles are similar to railroad tank cars, which are also des ...

explode An explosion is a rapid expansion in volume associated with an extreme outward release of energy, usually with the generation of high temperatures and release of high-pressure gases. Supersonic explosions created by high explosives are known ...

d in the Samari neighborhood of

Cap-Haïtien Cap-Haïtien (; ht, Kap Ayisyen; "Haitian Cape"), typically spelled Cape Haitien in English and often locally referred to as or , is a commune of about 190,000 people on the north coast of Haiti and capital of the department of Nord. Previousl ...

, the capital city of the Haitian department of Nord. At least 90 people were killed and more than 120 were injured; many people were injured as a result of rushing towards the tanker, likely to collect some of its cargo, before the explosion occurred. Many inhabitants are suffering from a huge financial crisis. Haiti, hit with an

economic crisis An economy is an area of the production, distribution and trade, as well as consumption of goods and services. In general, it is defined as a social domain that emphasize the practices, discourses, and material expressions associated with th ...

worsened by an earthquake four months earlier, was unable to adequately treat victims of the explosion, with hospitals undersupplied and in disarray.

Background

In 2021, Haiti was the poorest country in the

Western Hemisphere The Western Hemisphere is the half of the planet Earth that lies west of the prime meridian (which crosses Greenwich, London, United Kingdom) and east of the antimeridian. The other half is called the Eastern Hemisphere. Politically, the te ...

. Economic and political crises were compounded by the assassination of

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

Jovenel Moïse Jovenel Moïse (; ; 26 June 1968 – 7 July 2021) was a Haitian entrepreneur and politician, who served as the 43rd President of Haiti from 2017 until his assassination in 2021. He was sworn in as president in February 2017 after winning the ...

, and the

2021 Haiti earthquake At 08:29:09 EDT on 14 August 2021, a magnitude7.2 earthquake struck the Tiburon Peninsula in the Caribbean nation of Haiti. It had a 10-kilometre-deep (6.2 mi) hypocenter near Petit-Trou-de-Nippes, approximately 150 kilometres (93 ...

which caused 2,248 deaths and

US$ The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...

1.5 billion in damage, and an unstable electrical grid that left hospitals, schools, and businesses dependent on gasoline generators. In the wake of the earthquake, looting and gang activity became rampant, stifling aid and recovery efforts. Gangs hijacked fuel trucks,

kidnap In criminal law, kidnapping is the unlawful confinement of a person against their will, often including transportation/asportation. The asportation and abduction element is typically but not necessarily conducted by means of force or fear: the p ...

ped their drivers, and took control of fuel distribution ports. In November 2021, G9 gang leader

Jimmy Chérizier Jimmy Chérizier (born 1976 or 1977), also known by the pseudonym "Babekyou" or "Barbecue", is a Haitian gang leader and former police officer who is the head of Fòs Revolisyonè G9 an fanmi e alye ("Revolutionary Forces of the G9 Family and A ...

announced that fuel trucks would temporarily be allowed back into Port-au-Prince. Citizens of Haiti scrambled to get gasoline, with some selling to the black market.

Explosion

A fuel tanker carrying of gasoline, in an attempt to avoid a motorbike, overturned and began spilling fuel. The driver of the truck exited the vehicle and warned bystanders not to approach. However some of the victims of the explosion had rushed forward after the initial crash. After it exploded fuel stored in nearby houses worsened the extent of the explosion. The blast also set 50 homes on fire, damaged businesses, and charred vehicles. The cause of the explosion was trash that was

smoldering Smouldering (British English) or smoldering (American English; see spelling differences) is the slow, flameless form of combustion, sustained by the heat evolved when oxygen directly attacks the surface of a condensed-phase fuel. Many solid mate ...

when gasoline from the truck reached it. Firefighters were dispatched to the area, but due to water shortages had to call in aid from airport fire services.

Victims

Ninety people were killed in the explosion and more than 100 people were injured. After the explosion, several victims were injured due to trampling. Ambulances took up to five hours to arrive, and 15 victims had to be airlifted. Victims were sent to smaller, less equipped hospitals because the largest hospital in the city had shut down in November, due to being attacked by bandits. These hospitals were overwhelmed and were unable to handle the victims, as they lacked basic supplies, with some victims being placed on the floor or the yard of the hospital due to the lack of hospital beds. Fourteen victims died while in the hospital.

Aftermath

Field hospital A field hospital is a temporary hospital or mobile medical unit that takes care of casualties on-site before they can be safely transported to more permanent facilities. This term was initially used in military medicine (such as the Mobile A ...

s were also set up in the city.

UNICEF UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to ...

sent medical equipment to the city for burn victims. Acting President and

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...

Ariel Henry Ariel Henry (; born 6 November 1949) is a Haitian neurosurgeon and politician who has served as the acting prime minister of Haiti and the acting president of Haiti since 20 July 2021. He later became involved in a controversy due to his refusa ...

announced three days of mourning in the country.

References

{{Tanker explosions 2021 disasters in North America 2021 in Haiti 2021 road incidents 2020s road incidents in North America Fuel tanker explosion Deaths caused by petroleum looting December 2021 crimes in North America Explosions in 2021 Explosions in North America Fires in Haiti Road incidents in Haiti Vehicle fires 2021 crimes in Haiti Tanker explosions

Background

Explosion

Victims

Aftermath

See also

References