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Bus Plows Into Crowd In Haiti, Killing At Least 34

Gonaives, a city in northern Haiti, is seen in May 2016. On Sunday morning, a bus crashed into a parade in the city, killing at least 34 people and injuring 17.
Hector Retamal
/
AFP/Getty Images
Gonaives, a city in northern Haiti, is seen in May 2016. On Sunday morning, a bus crashed into a parade in the city, killing at least 34 people and injuring 17.

A bus plowed into a crowd of people in northern Haiti around 3 a.m. Sunday morning, killing at least 34 people and injuring 17.

The bus was driving from Cap Haitien to Port-au-Prince when it crashed into a "rara" parade in the city of Gonaives, reports the AP.

Rara is a type of Haitian music played on traditional instruments, with onlookers often joining in the procession.

Reuters reports that the driver and passengers are being held by police. Following the accident, people began throwing rocks at the bus and other vehicles.

The BBC reports further:

Witnesses gathered at the scene became hostile after seeing the driver attempt to flee, which caused further deaths and injuries, AFP reports, adding that they then tried to set the vehicle alight.

"The people who were not victims of the accident tried to burn the bus with the passengers inside," said Faustin Joseph, a civic protection co-ordinator for the Artibonite region.

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Laurel Wamsley is a reporter for NPR's News Desk. She reports breaking news for NPR's digital coverage, newscasts, and news magazines, as well as occasional features. She was also the lead reporter for NPR's coverage of the 2019 Women's World Cup in France.