Haiti (MNN) — Tragedy strikes Cap-Haïtien, Haiti’s second-largest city.
“There was a big tanker of fuel coming into town, and some gunmen tried to hijack the truck. The truck ended up rolling over. People were out there poking holes in the tanker to catch fuel to take to their homes, and the tanker exploded,” For Haiti With Love’s Eva DeHart says.
“Our burn clinic started filling up with people shortly after 1 AM.”
Haiti is under three days of national mourning as the death toll rises. The explosion alone claimed more than 50 lives, and “houses caught on fire; a lot of people burned to death in their sleep,” DeHart says.
The fuel tanker exploded near businesses and homes made of old wood, sending them instantly into flames.
(Photo courtesy of For Haiti With Love)
Pray the Lord will comfort people who lost loved ones in this tragedy. “Pray for those who are burned and injured. Burns are [extremely] painful, and these are very severe burns,” DeHart says.
Pray burn survivors will encounter the hope of Christ through the care and compassion of For Haiti With Love staff. “Our mission is to show God’s love through pain relief and healing,” DeHart says.
“Ask God to get control of hearts and help us help the injured, as well as the people who are hurting emotionally.”
Ready to respond
Multiple back-to-back crises have drained local hospitals of staff and supplies. See our full Haiti coverage here. By contrast, “we (our clinic) didn’t turn anybody away. We called the girls in, and the clinic opened up at 1 AM like it was [a regular] morning,” DeHart says.
“We were in a better position than any of the hospitals to help. God had us prepared.”
With help from donors, For Haiti With Love keeps its burn clinic stocked to respond whenever needs arise. Before yesterday, “we had inventory for seven or eight months,” DeHart says.
Now, “that (inventory) is going to be gone quickly, and we’ll need to replenish those (supplies) so we can continue the work.”
Help For Haiti purchase supplies for its burn clinic by donating here.
Header image displays the aftermath of Monday’s fuel tanker explosion. (Header and story images courtesy of For Haiti With Love)
