Lack of accountability after crush of crowds at Haiti’s Citadelle Laferrière kills 25

An unauthorised event at Haiti’s 19th-century Citadelle Laferrière on April 11 drew more than 3,000 people and ended in a crowd crush and stampede that killed at least 25 attendees, including a pregnant woman and young children. The gathering, promoted by TikTok influencers, became deadly amid overcrowding, heavy rainfall, and a bottleneck at the narrow entrance as people tried to enter and exit simultaneously. After three days of national mourning, the government promised to cover funeral costs, but responsibility has been disputed, with Milot mayor Wesner Joseph saying it was not his role to control unauthorised events and blaming the Haitian Institute for the Protection of National Heritage (ISPAN). Joseph was taken into police custody on April 13 and interrogated for three days, while five municipal security agents and two ISPAN employees were also arrested; the citadel remains closed pending ongoing investigations.

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