At least 20 people were killed during an accident at a Carnival celebration in Haiti's capital city, Port-au-Prince, early Tuesday after a man standing on a float was electrocuted by a power line, setting off a mass panic. Dozens were trampled.
The Haitian Prime Minister Evans Paul announced the cancellation of the rest of Tuesday's festivities and instead planned to hold a mourning parade to honor the victims.
Video from the scene appears to show a man moving a the live wire so the float could pass beneath it. It is a common practice in Haiti and elsewhere to have someone positioned atop a parade float to move low-hanging power lines.
Editor's note: While the footage below is not graphic, some may find it disturbing.
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Thousands were watching the float pass during the annual Carnival celebrations. The float, one of 16 in the downtown Carnival parade, was sponsored by the Haitian hip-hop group Barikad Crew, who extended condolences to the victims on their Facebook page. Some of the victims were instantly electrocuted in a flash of sparks, according to witnesses; others managed to jump off, causing panic in the crowd.
Reports were conflicting on the number of casualties. Nadia Lochard, a coordinator for the Department of Civil Protection, said at least 20 people were killed and 46 were injured. In a statement, the Haitian government's communications department relayed that at least 12 people were killed and more than 40 were injured.
Dr. Joel Desire, a doctor at General Hospital, said most of those killed appeared to have been trampled to death as the crowd fled from the float.
"I saw the wire falling and sparks and I started running for my life," said Natacha Saint Fleur, 22, who was near the float at the time.
Hundreds thronged the General Hospital, where many victims were taken, some searching searching for family members transported by ambulance.
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Carnival takes place yearly directly before Lent begins and is marked by parades and street parties; it lasts for weeks in Haiti and culminates with Mardi Gras festivities.
Prime Minister Evans Paul offered his condolences to the victims and their families on Twitter and visited the hospital following the accident.
His message translates as: "Deep sadness following this tragic accident has my sympathies to the families we share your pain and suffering."
Profonde tristesse suite a ce tragique accident mes sympathies aux familles des victimes nous partageons votre douleur et votre souffrance— Primature Haïti (@PrimatureHaiti) February 17, 2015
Communications Minister Rothchild Francis added that the government was working to assist victims.
Additional reporting from The Associated Press.