At least 30 people were killed in a stampede at Chateau Laferrière in northern Haiti on Saturday, officials said, as large crowds gathered at the historic site for annual festivities.Jean Henri Petit, head of civil protection for Haiti’s northern department, said the stampede occurred at the entrance to the historic fortress, an early 19th-century structure built shortly after the country’s independence from France, Reuters reported.Landmark building designated as a World Heritage UNESCOpacked with students and tourists attending the annual event. Pettit said overcrowding combined with rainfall caused the situation to quickly deteriorate.Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fiers-Aime said in a statement that he “extends his sincere condolences to the families of the deceased and assures them of his deep solidarity with them at this time of mourning and great pain.”He added that there were “many young people” at the scene, but authorities had yet to identify the victims or provide details of the injuries.Officials said emergency teams were responding to the scene and warned the death toll could rise as more information becomes available.
