At least 16 dead after violent attack in Haiti

TT

Published 21.18

          

          Armed police in Haiti's capital Port au Prince. Archive photo. Photo: Odelyn Joseph /AP/TT

At least 16 people have been killed after an attack carried out by gang members in Haiti.

The UN Secretary-General fears that the death toll could be significantly higher.

The attack - which is said to have been carried out by gang members - occurred in the centrally located town of Petite Riviere de l'Artibonite.

16 people have been confirmed dead and another ten have been injured, according to police. Several houses have also been burned down.

- This attack underlines the seriousness of the security situation facing the Haitian population, says Stéphane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

According to Dujarric, the death toll varies from 30 to 80 people.

Haiti is severely affected by violent crime and large parts of the country are controlled by armed gangs. In the past year alone, more than 1,400 people have been killed as a result of gang violence, according to a UN report.