National police said on Monday they arrested seven people in the town of Milot, at the foot of the citadel, suspected of involvement. Those arrested include five municipal police officers and two National Heritage Preservation Institute staff members, News.Az reports, citing DW.
Police said they were held for questioning, without specifying the allegations.
Authorities had initially reported a death toll of 30, but it was later revised down.
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Confirming the death toll, the town’s mayor Wesner Joseph was quoted by the French AFP news agency as saying that officials had “received 13 bodies at the Sacre-Coeur Hospital in Milot, and we recovered 12 others at the Citadel. Twenty-five injured people are also being treated at the hospital.”
What do we know about the deadly fortress stampede?
Conflicting reports over the cause of the stampede have been mentioned.
Some local reports said heavy rain triggered panic during an event, which then caused the stampede.
Milot Mayor Wesner Joseph told Magik9 radio station that his administration was not aware of any activity planned at the fortress, Citadelle Laferriere, when the stampede occurred on Saturday. Later, authorities discovered that a local DJ had invited people for an event via TikTok.
The event, whose entry ticket cost roughly $8 (€6.79), was attended by children and young people, with many making the hike to reach the venue, according to videos circulated ahead of the event.Stampede takes place during traditional festival — reports
AFP meanwhile reported that the stampede occurred during a traditional festival held at the fortress involving exceptionally large crowds, citing a report by the Civil Protection agency.
“A scuffle broke out between those already inside who wished to leave, and those outside attempting to enter,” AFP quoted the report as saying. “Only one door was open for both entry and exit. This panic caused a massive stampede, resulting in cases of asphyxiation, trampling, and loss of consciousness among the visitors.”
Citadelle Laferriere is a popular tourist attraction close to the northern port of Cap-Haitien, which currently serves as Haiti’s main gateway to the outside world due to instability in the capital, Port-au-Prince.
The fort is a symbol of enslaved Haitians’ hard-won independence, when the enslaved population revolted against their oppressors and declared independence in 1804. The citadel was built in 1820 to defend against an anticipated French invasion which never came.
