About twenty wounded were transferred to the country’s hospitals, including the one run by the Médecins sans Frontières (MSF) organization in Port-au-Prince, the only one in Haiti specialized in the care of serious burns.
“We have operated all night and, at the moment, our 12 patients are stable,” said Jean Gilbert Ndong, MSF medical coordinator on Wednesday, noting that they will receive another dozen patients during the day.
The tragedy prompted an emotional lament from Pope Francis and a call for prayer for the Caribbean nation, which this year has suffered a brutal wave of gang violence, a presidential assassination and a devastating earthquake.
The explosion is the latest tragedy to hit this Caribbean country ravaged by poverty, natural disasters, gang violence and political paralysis.
In addition, the poorest country in the American continent faces a severe fuel shortage, due to gangs monopolizing part of the supply network. The country has never produced enough electricity to meet the needs of its population.
The explosion of a tanker truck kills more than 50 in Haiti
This year, armed gangs have greatly increased their hold over Port-au-Prince, controlling the roads leading to the country’s three oil terminals.
In recent weeks, more than a dozen fuel transport vehicles were hijacked by gangs who demanded heavy ransoms for the release of the drivers.
With information from AFP and Reuters
