Seven people, including five police officers, are in custody following a deadly stampede at the Laferrière Citadel that killed 25 people on Saturday. The national police force confirmed the arrests following the tragedy at the UNESCO World Heritage site in northern Haiti.
Authorities initially reported 30 deaths but later revised the figure to 25. The detainees include two employees of the National Heritage Preservation Institute (ISPAN), the agency responsible for overseeing Haiti's major landmarks.
Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé said the stampede occurred during a tourist event in the town of Milot that was attended by many young people. He announced that the country would observe three days of national mourning starting Tuesday.
Unplanned gathering leads to tragedy
Milot Mayor Wesner Joseph told Magik9 radio on Monday that his administration was unaware of any activity planned for the citadel on Saturday. He discovered that a local DJ had used TikTok to invite crowds to the site.
Jean-Hérold Pérard, the site's engineer and a former ISPAN director, told the Haitian Times that officials had closed one of the two entrance gates. This closure was intended to facilitate the collection of visitor fees by local security.
As rain began to fall, Pérard said crowds began attempting to force their way through the single open entrance. He alleged that shots were fired into the air and tear gas was deployed during the chaos.
"People were pushing each other and some died of asphyxiation especially after they threw tear gas," Pérard said. It is not yet clear which party deployed the tear gas or fired the shots.
The Citadelle Laferrière, also known as Citadelle Henry, serves as a powerful symbol of Haitian independence. The fortress was constructed by revolutionary leader Henri Christophe shortly after the nation gained independence from France.
The massive structure took over a decade to complete and was part of a defensive network designed to protect the Caribbean nation from invasion. The site remains a primary cultural landmark for the region.
