According to reports, the vehicle was involved an accident in Cap-Haitien. The victims were trying to collect leaking fuel at the time it ignited.
The blast left many injured at local hospitals.
Ariel Henry, Prime Minister of the Caribbean, stated that the whole nation was in mourning following the accident and declared three days’ mourning.
He wrote, “I learned, in desolation and emotion, about the tragic news of the explosion yesterday night in Cap-Haitien,” on Twitter Tuesday.
Photos posted to social media show a fiery scene at the accident site in Haiti’s second largest city. Witnesses described the blast as “hell.”
Local medics stated that they were concerned about the possibility of more deaths from the explosion, which left dozens of people injured.
A nurse at Justinien University Hospital said that they don’t have the resources to care for the severely burned patients. “I fear we won’t have the ability to save all of them,” said a nurse at Justinien University Hospital.
“We are overwhelmed,” said a Haitian doctor to Le Nouvelliste. The government announced that it will deploy field hospitals in the region to aid those who are affected.
Mayor Pierre Yvrose stated that “we need human resources and also materials resources, namely serum and gauze and any other resources that could be used in the event of serious burns.”
Patrick Almonor, Deputy Mayor, visited the blast site and told reporters that the victims he saw were so badly burned it was impossible to identify them.
He said that around 20 houses were also set on fire in the vicinity by the explosion.
The United Nations Office in Haiti stated that it was ready to assist national authorities in responding to the tanker explosion.
This comes at a time when Haiti is suffering from a severe fuel shortage. Powerful gangs have taken control of large parts of fuel distribution in the country. Haiti is also experiencing a severe economic and political crisis as a result of the assassination of President Jovenel Moise earlier in the year.