Overview:
Eight people, including three children, died after two tanker trucks collided as one exploded in the southern entrance of Gonaïves on June 25, prompting calls for tighter traffic enforcement and fire safety on national roads.
GONAÏVES — Eight people, including three young girls from the same family, died in a fiery collision involving two fuel tanker trucks at the southern entrance of Gonaïves—the capital city of the Artibonite Department—on June 25. The high-speed crash triggered a massive explosion, leaving the community in mourning and authorities renewing calls for urgent reforms in road safety and fire prevention across Haiti’s densely populated cities.
The tragedy once again underscores the dangers of Haiti’s chaotic transportation system, where speeding, lack of regulation and minimal infrastructure contribute to some of the region’s deadliest accidents. National roads, especially near populous urban centers like Gonaïves, are increasingly hazardous due to unchecked heavy vehicle traffic and inadequate enforcement of basic safety standards.
According to Civil Protection officials in Artibonite, the explosion occurred when two speeding trucks carrying gasoline northbound from Port-au-Prince collided. The force of the impact caused one of the fuel-laden trucks to flip and explode near the Gaudin Bridge, a busy junction on National Road #1.
“We have confirmed that eight people died in this accident. That is the final toll,” said Faustin Joseph, Artibonite’s Civil Protection coordinator.
“ This tragedy is beyond what I can bear. I am terrified beyond belief.”
Roselande Ciceron, mother of the three children killed
The victims included the tanker driver, a passenger, three motorcyclists and three schoolchildren—14-year-old Rodelanca Démosthène and her sisters, Woodmia, 11, and Woodmica, 10. They were waiting on the sidewalk near the bridge for their father to pick them up for school when the deadly explosion occurred.
“I always got mad at him for not picking up the kids at home,” their mother, Roselande Ciceron, said through tears. “Now, I’ve lost my three precious daughters at once.”
“This tragedy is beyond what I can bear. I am terrified beyond belief,” Ciceron, mother of five, lamented.
A school principal and family friend, Jean-Robert Silvernat of Pont Gaudin National School— a public elementary school in the area— was nearby when the blast occurred. “They were waiting on the side of the road. The tanker got hit at full speed, and then it all went up in flames,” he said.
Haitian National Police (PNH) officers and Civil Protection brigadiers responded quickly but were unable to save the victims trapped by the fire. Four died instantly, while four others died from severe burns at the hospital later that day.
“We dispatched a justice of the peace, Daniel Pierre, to the scene,” said Jacky Guillaume, chief inspector of Gonaïves traffic police, unable to identify the individual or company to which the gasoline carrier belonged. “This was one of the most catastrophic road incidents we’ve witnessed in recent years.”
“We have confirmed that eight people died in this accident. That is the final toll.”
Faustin Joseph, Artibonite’s Civil Protection coordinator
Authorities suspect both tanker drivers were speeding in a race-like manner. The area where the crash occurred—a narrow corridor near a residential neighborhood—is known for its traffic bottlenecks and lack of safety signage. Despite previous accidents near the Gaudin Bridge, little has been done to mitigate risks.
This incident comes amid growing concern over Haiti’s rising road fatalities. In 2024 alone, traffic accidents were among the leading causes of violent death in the country, according to national health officials. Major cities like Gonaïves, with limited or no fire services and under-resourced emergency response units, remain particularly vulnerable.
With no fire department functioning for a decade, Gonaïves residents battle flames on their own as government roadblocks stall solutions, putting residents’ lives in danger every time a fire breaks out.
In recent years, Haitian fire prevention advocates and civil engineers have warned of the growing number of hazardous cargo trucks traveling without safety protocols—especially near marketplaces and school zones.
“Preventing these accidents starts with strict traffic law enforcement and clear zoning,” said Joseph in an interview with The Haitian Times after the incident. “Until then, we will continue to see preventable deaths like these.”
As Gonaïves prepares to bury its dead without certainty of help from local authorities, residents are demanding accountability and reforms.