Seven Arrested After Deadly Stampede at Haiti’s Citadelle Laferrière

Seven people have been arrested after a stampede killed 25 people at the Citadelle Laferrière in Haiti during a crowded event. An investigation is ongoing.

Seven people have been arrested in connection with a deadly stampede that killed at least 25 people at the Citadelle Laferrière in northern Haiti, according to the country’s national police force. Those detained include five local police officers and two employees of the National Heritage Preservation Institute (ISPAN), the agency responsible for protecting and managing Haiti’s historic monuments and cultural sites.
The tragedy occurred on Saturday during an annual cultural gathering at the historic fortress, which is a major tourist attraction and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Authorities initially reported 30 deaths, but later revised the figure down to 25 after verification of casualty records. The event reportedly drew a large crowd of visitors, many of them young people, who had gathered for the festivities in the town of Milot.
Investigations are ongoing, but early accounts suggest that the situation escalated after entry points to the site were restricted, reportedly due to crowd management and fee collection procedures. One of the site’s two main entrances was allegedly closed by security personnel, which led to large numbers of visitors attempting to force their way in as rain began to fall. The sudden surge of people is believed to have triggered panic and crushing conditions.
Witnesses and local officials have also raised concerns about possible use of force during the chaos. Some reports claim that gunshots were fired into the air and tear gas was deployed, though it remains unclear who was responsible for these actions. According to accounts cited by local sources, the combination of panic, pushing crowds, and irritants in the air may have contributed to some of the fatalities, including deaths caused by asphyxiation.
The incident has sparked widespread concern over crowd control measures and event planning at major public attractions in Haiti. Milot Mayor Wesner Joseph stated that the local administration was not informed of any official event scheduled at the citadel on that day, adding that it later emerged that a local DJ had promoted the gathering through social media, including TikTok, which may have contributed to the unexpectedly large turnout.
The citadel itself, also known as Citadelle Henry, is a historic fortress built in the early 19th century by revolutionary leader Henri Christophe after Haiti’s independence from France. It was designed as part of a defensive network to protect the newly independent nation and has since become a powerful national symbol of Haitian independence and resilience.
In response to the tragedy, Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé announced that a three-day period of national mourning would begin, honoring those who lost their lives in the stampede. Meanwhile, authorities have pledged a full investigation to determine responsibility and assess whether security lapses, mismanagement, or other factors contributed to the disaster.
The incident comes at a time when Haiti continues to face severe security challenges, including widespread gang violence and instability, which have already strained public safety systems and emergency response capacity across the country.