PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti–Prime Minister Dr. Ariel Henry says he is “deeply saddened” at the loss of lives following a vehicular accident over the weekend that left at least six people dead and more than 70 others injured.
Media reports said that the accident occurred on Saturday when a truck returning from Breman, south of the capital, Port au Prince, carrying musicians and fans of the Rara “inonsan” overturned in Jacmel near Meyer.
Rara is a form of festival music that originated in Haiti and is used for street processions, typically during Easter Week. The music centers on a set of cylindrical bamboo trumpets called Vaksin but also features drums, maracas, güiras or güiros, a percussion instrument, and metal bells, as well as also which are made from recycled metal, often coffee cans.
According to the Secretary-General of the South-East delegation, the speeding driver would have tried to avoid a band of Rara on the road and lost control of his vehicle.
“I am deeply saddened after learning the news of the accident, in Meyer, commune of Jacmel, which caused several victims, including deaths and injuries. I offer my condolences to the families of the victims of this new tragedy while renewing them my full support,” Henry said in a message on his social media page.
The authorities said four people died at the accident scene and two others at the hospital. In comparison, 72 people, including 20 seriously injured, have been taken to the Saint-Michel hospital in Jacmel. Medical officials said most of those injured suffered multiple fractures.
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