Haiti’s authorities has declared three days of nationwide mourning and says it is going to cowl the funeral prices for the victims after a lethal crowd surge on the Citadelle Laferrière in Cap-Haitien, northern Haiti, left 25 folks lifeless.
The Sunday night announcement got here after an emergency cupboard assembly led by Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, because the nation continues to soak up the size of the tragedy that unfolded April 11 in Milot. Officers mentioned the nation will observe a interval of mourning from April 14 to April 16, with flags flown at half-staff throughout the nation. Officers described the transfer as a gesture of solidarity with grieving households.
Authorities additionally confirmed the state will take cost of funeral bills for the victims, a lot of them younger individuals who had gathered on the historic fortress for a broadly promoted social media occasion.
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The sneakers of victims of a lethal stampede sit by the principle entrance of the Citadelle Laferriere in Milot, Haiti, Sunday, April 12, 2026. (AP Picture/Ketlain Difficile) -
Folks put together to move the physique of a relative, a sufferer of a lethal stampede, to their house, in Milot, Haiti, Sunday, April 12, 2026. (AP Picture/Ketlain Difficile) -
Kinfolk of a sufferer of a lethal stampede embrace one another in Milot, Haiti, Sunday, April 12, 2026. (AP Picture/Ketlain Difficile)
The lethal incident occurred throughout a big youth gathering known as ‘Citadel Vibe 3.0’ launched and promoted by a number of social media influencers, which drew 1000’s of individuals to the mountaintop fortress in Milot. Authorities say the variety of attendees far exceeded the positioning’s capability.
Scenes from the aftermath captured the depth of the loss.
In Milot, residents wept as males carried our bodies wrapped in white sheets via the streets a day after the tragedy, reflecting the grief spreading throughout communities within the north.
The federal government mentioned it has deployed officers, together with the Minister of the Inside, to the area to assist victims and households, whereas emergency groups proceed responding on the bottom.
Because the outcry grows over crowd management and security failures at giant public gatherings, officers additionally pledged to proceed the continued investigation and mentioned these accountable will face justice.
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