24 dead in tanker explosion in Haiti

About 40 people were injured in the explosion in Miragoane, some of them suffering burns all over their bodies, Emmanuel Pierre, head of the Haitian civil protection agency, told AFP.

The death toll rose from 16 earlier in the day after rescue workers discovered more charred bodies near the blast site, Pierre said.

The injured were taken to Sainte Therese Hospital in the port city of Miragoane, about 100 kilometers west of the capital Port-au-Prince.

Six were later evacuated to specialized hospitals in Port-au-Prince.

Thirteen others who were originally scheduled to be transferred will remain in Miragoane because burns on more than 80 percent of their bodies made transport impossible.

Interim Prime Minister Garry Conille has called an emergency government meeting to deal with the tragedy, Pierre said.

Haiti has suffered from instability for years and its capital has been virtually taken over by criminal gangs.

Senior U.S. diplomat Anthony Blinken made a rare visit to Haiti on September 5, pledging $45 million in aid and stressing the need for elections, which Haiti has not held since 2016.

Blinken also expressed concern about the long-term future of the Kenyan-led police force that arrived two months ago and was tasked with stabilizing Port-au-Prince and beyond.