Dozens were reportedly injured and at least 20 killed by electrocution when a float hit a low-hanging power line during Haiti’s Carnival parade early Tuesday.
The coordinator for the Department of Civil Protection, Nadia Lochard, said that at least 46 were injured in the accident that occurred in downtown Port-au-Prince.
From the Associated Press:
The float, one of 16 in the downtown Carnival parade, was sponsored by the Haitian hip-hop group Barikad Crew. Some of the victims were instantly electrocuted in a flash of sparks, according to witnesses. Others managed to jump off, causing panic in the crowd.
“I saw the wire falling and sparks and I started running for my life,” said Natacha Saint Fleur, a 22-year-old who was near the float at the time.
Hundreds of people thronged the General Hospital, where many of the victims were taken, some carrying victims and others searching for family members brought by ambulance.
President Michel Martelly took to Twitter to express his sympathy for the victims’ families.
Mes sincères sympathies aux victimes du grave incident survenu ce matin au Champ de Mars à l’occasion du 2ème jour gras du Carnaval. #Haiti
— Michel J. Martelly (@MichelJMartelly) February 17, 2015
Our thoughts and prayers are with those who lost loved ones in this tragic accident.
SOURCE: AP | VIDEO SOURCE: News Inc.
