According to Haitian civil protection authorities, the accident occurred near the town of Petit-Goave when the truck driver lost control of the vehicle on National Highway 2 on its way to Saint Louis du Sud.
Initial reports put the number of fatalities at 20, with 40 injured, but many of the severely injured later died in the hospital.
Haitian radio station Kiskeya reported on its web page accounts from eyewitnesses at the scene who said the truck was packed with vendors and merchandise when it tipped over as it climbed a steep stretch of road. Most of the passengers were women.
The director of the Notre-Dame Hospital in Petit-Goave, Joel Charles, said several of the injured were in critical condition, with many sustaining head trauma and broken bones.
Charles requested additional help at the hospital, because many of the doctors on staff were away for Holy Week celebrations in the deeply catholic country.
(T.H-AK)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2012
