PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Haiti entered a period of three national days of mourning starting Tuesday, after a fatal crowd crush at the iconic Citadelle Laferrière last weekend claimed the lives of at least 25 people. The 19th-century mountain fortress, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, holds profound cultural meaning for Haiti: it was constructed in 1820 by the newly independent Haitian state to fend off a feared French re-invasion, and stands as a lasting monument to the freedom won by the formerly enslaved people who led the world’s first successful slave revolt to found an independent nation.
The deadly incident unfolded last Saturday during an unsanctioned annual cultural gathering held at the landmark in the northern Haitian town of Milot. In the wake of the tragedy, law enforcement officials have taken seven people into custody, a group that includes five active police officers and two employees of the National Institute for the Preservation of Heritage (known locally by its French acronym ISPAN), the government agency charged with managing and protecting Haiti’s historic landmarks. Investigators have also seized six mobile phones and six official security badges from the suspects as they build their case.
Initial official death counts put the fatalities at 30, but authorities have since revised the toll downward to 25 confirmed deaths. Multiple conflicting accounts have emerged about the chain of events that led to the stampede. Local mayor Wesner Joseph told Haitian outlet Magik9 Radio that his municipal administration had no advance notice of any event being held at the citadel that Saturday. Investigations have revealed the gathering was organized organically after a local disk jockey promoted the event to thousands of followers on the social media platform TikTok.
Jean-Hérold Pérard, a former ISPAN director who worked as the site’s lead engineer, shared detailed observations with the Haitian Times, noting that one of the citadel’s only two public entrances had been blocked by personnel who were collecting entry fees from arriving visitors. When a sudden rainstorm hit the site, crowds trapped outside began pushing to force their way into the fortress. Pérard also alleged that unknown actors fired gunshots into the air and deployed tear gas amid the growing chaos. “People were pushing against one another, and many died of asphyxiation, especially after tear gas was thrown into the crowd,” Pérard explained. Pre-event videos circulated on social media showed that the gathering drew large numbers of children and young people, many of whom completed the steep, strenuous hike up the mountain to reach the historic fortress.
Caribbean regional bloc the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has already issued an official statement extending its sincere condolences to the people and government of Haiti in the wake of the tragedy. Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé has also acknowledged the loss of life, confirming the stampede occurred at a tourist event that drew a large crowd of young attendees to the landmark site.