Tanker truck explosion in Haiti kills 24

A fuel truck exploded in southwestern Haiti on Saturday, killing 24 people, authorities said. Witnesses said the victims were trying to catch leaking fuel from the vehicle.

The explosion in Miragoane injured about 40 people, some of whom suffered burns all over their bodies, Emmanuel Pierre, head of Haiti’s civil protection agency, told AFP.

The death toll is higher than the 16 counted earlier in the day after rescuers found more charred bodies near the explosion site, Pierre said.

The wounded were taken to Sainte Therese Hospital in the port city of Miragoane, about 100 kilometers (62 miles) west of the capital Port-au-Prince.

Six of them were later evacuated to specialized hospitals in Port-au-Prince.

Thirteen others originally considered for transfer remain in Miragoane because 80 percent of their bodies were burned and transport is impossible.

Interim Prime Minister Garry Conille called an emergency government meeting to discuss the tragedy, Pierre said.

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Haiti has been struggling with instability for years and the capital has been almost completely taken over by criminal gangs.

Top U.S. diplomat Anthony Blinken made a rare visit on Sept. 5, pledging $45 million in aid and stressing the need for elections. Haiti has not held elections since 2016.

Blinken also raised concerns about the long-term future of a Kenyan-led police force, which arrived two months ago and is tasked with stabilizing Port-au-Prince and the surrounding area.