At Least 16 Dead After Gas Tanker Exploded in Haiti

[TheCruxofBag]

A fuel truck exploded on a road in Haiti's southern peninsula on Saturday, killing at least 16 people and leaving 40 survivors with serious burns, officials said. Some sources placed the death toll at around twenty, but authorities in Nippes said 16 bodies were completely charred and unrecognizable.

A witness to the incident said the truck's gas tank had been punctured by another vehicle, and people rushed to the site to collect fuel. "There were a lot of people. Those who were close to the truck got pulverized," said the man, who did not give his name, in a video interview with local outlet Echo Haiti Media.

When asked how many people might have been killed in the blast, he said it was difficult to say. "You can't know, because there were a lot of people, bystanders and those collecting oil. There were a lot of people," he said.

Fuel deliveries to the Miragoane area have slowed in recent weeks as trucks were transported via ferry to avoid gang-controlled highways surrounding the capital of Port-au-Prince.

Haiti's civil protection agency reported the identities of a 31-year-old man and two 23-year-old men who suffered burns over 89% of their bodies, and were being treated in a hospital in Les Cayes, in southern Haiti. Due to the state of national emergency in the country, Haiti's hospitals are poorly equipped to deal with severe burns.

[fred5079]

My God there all charcoal briquettes

[deanna]

Something about the position of different charred bodies being eerily similar is wild to see

[OmniJackal]

On that note who else remembers DER ARE PEOPLE DYING DER DER ARE PEOPLE DYING DER guy.

[Mr.NoCredit]

Originally Posted by deanna

Something about the position of different charred bodies being eerily similar is wild to see

Fire will cause the soft tissues to contract, which causes the skin to tear and the fat and muscles to shrink. The internal organs will also shrink. The muscles contract due to burning and this causes the joints to flex. As a result, burned bodies are often contorted into what’s known as a pugilistic, or boxer pose.

[docfr8]

I'm sure they were trying to collect some fuel whilst smoking

[HIGHTECHDUDE]

Very well done...

A bit more aftermath:

[houseoftechno]

Free gas has a price in the end. Looks like at pre-ignition, the gas was flowing down the culvert, and all those folks were in the culvert ladling up their free gas.

[houseoftechno]

Did anybody else see the smiley face in vid1? Fate casts levity amidst a field of horror.

[William May]

Originally Posted by HIGHTECHDUDE

Very well done...

On MANY levels!