First deaths reported from Fort-Liberté gasoline blast, child and mother die from burn injuries

FORT-LIBERTE —  Two people of the 11 injured in a devastating gasoline explosion in Fort-Liberté earlier this month have died from their wounds, authorities and family members confirmed. The losses bring renewed attention to the dangers of unsafe fuel transport and the lack of specialized medical care in Haiti’s northern region.

Five-year-old Evnesk Antoine died on Dec. 15 at Justinien University Hospital in Cap-Haïtien, while Séjour Chelande, 39, a mother and street vendor, died the following day after suffering severe burns. Both were injured in a Dec. 6 blaze sparked when gasoline barrels being transported on a motorized tricycle exploded in a densely populated neighborhood.

The explosion injured more than a dozen people, of whom 11 were in critical condition,  destroyed at least four homes and damaged several others along Quai Prolongée Street, in the area known locally as Dufour. 

As previously reported by The Haitian Times, residents said the tricycle was carrying three barrels of gasoline through narrow residential streets when it detonated, triggering a fast-moving fire that trapped families inside their homes, around 6:00 a.m.

Family and friends grieve a child among the victims

The boy, Evnesk Antoine, was playing with other children near his home when the explosion occurred, according to neighbors. Flames spread rapidly, leaving little time to escape.

“He was near a propane tank when everything exploded. The fire spread so fast that no one could reach him in time,” said Judelyn Jean, a witness.

Neighbors managed to rescue several children, including the young Antoine, but he suffered extensive burns. He was initially taken to Saint-Joseph Hospital in Fort-Liberté before being transferred to Cap-Haïtien’s Justinien University Hospital due to the severity of his injuries and the lack of specialized burn care locally.

“In Fort-Liberté, the doctors did what they could,”  Luckson Mompoint, a family friend, said, recounting what the child’s mother, Evelyne Lucien, told him. “We hoped that in Cap-Haïtien, he would have a chance.”

But the boy died ten days after the explosion.  Ronex Antoine and Evelyne Lucien are grieving their only child. A private funeral was held earlier this week.

“The loss of Evnesk Anotine leaves a bitter taste for the whole family,” said Mompoint. “He was a joyful child. His death is hard to accept.”

A mother, a livelihood lost

The fuel blast also claimed the life of Séjour, a machann pèpè—Creole for secondhand clothing vendor—and mother of two children, ages 15 and younger. She was at home preparing merchandise for market when the fire suddenly engulfed her house.

“She was simple, generous, and hardworking,” said Emmanuela Benchelove Tony, a close friend.

Séjour was the primary breadwinner for her family and a member of a sòl, a rotating savings group common in Haiti. The fire destroyed her home, her business and years of savings.

She was admitted to Justinien University Hospital but was later taken home by her family due to financial hardship, relatives said. Her condition worsened, and she died on Dec. 16  before 11:00 a.m.

“She learned that everything had burned—her house, her business, all her money,” said a family member who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on the family’s behalf.  “After that, she lost hope.”

Several victims remain hospitalized, including 5-year-old Rose Bedji-Flore Mompoint, who is being treated for severe burns in Fort-Liberté. Another patient, Rose Mirlande Sévère, is in worsening condition.

The tragedy has renewed calls for stricter fuel transport regulation, better emergency response, and improved access to burn care in northern Haiti—where weak infrastructure often turns accidents into deadly disasters.

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