At least 30 people died Saturday in a riot in rural northern Haiti, authorities said, warning that the death toll could rise.
Jean Henri Petit, head of Civil Defense for Haiti’s Northern Department, said the riot occurred at the Citadel of Laferrière, an early 19th-century fortress built shortly after Haiti’s independence from France.
One of Haiti’s most popular tourist attractions, the fortress was packed with students and visitors on Saturday who had come to take part in UNESCO’s annual World Heritage celebration, Petit added.
Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé said in a statement that he “extends his sincere condolences to the bereaved families and assures them of his deep solidarity at this time of mourning and great suffering.”
He added that “many young people” were present at the Citadel celebrations, although it was not known who died and the prime minister’s statement did not provide an estimate of the death toll.
Petit said that the commotion occurred at the entrance to the site, adding that the rain further aggravated the tragedy.
The deadly riot comes as Haiti faces a wave of violence perpetrated by gangs that have massacred civilians, as well as an increasingly violent crackdown by security forces.
The country has also been the scene of several disasters in recent years, including one that killed two dozen people, another that killed 90 people and an earthquake that left around 2,000 people dead that same year.
