Haiti – Hurricane Melissa: Human Lives Swept Away

PETIT-GOAVE, Haiti.— The Ladigue River, swollen by torrential rains, brutally overflowed its banks, sweeping away everything in its path… houses, human lives, and vehicles. The bridge to the Grand Sud is submerged, and rescue efforts are mobilized in extremely difficult conditions.

According to initial information, at least twenty (20) lifeless bodies, including two children, have been recovered. Several people are still missing, according to local sources supported by rescuers and residents.

According to testimonies, seven people from the same family, including three children, their mother, and their grandfather, were reportedly swept away by the waters. Another woman and a young man are also among the missing. Search efforts continue, despite the persistent flooding and mud hindering operations.

"We are still searching. The waters have swept everything away," laments a local rescuer, exhausted after several hours in the field.

The sudden rise in the river's level also submerged the bridge connecting Petit-Goâve to the rest of the Grand Sud, rendering it impassable. Land traffic to Les Cayes, Jérémie, and other communes is completely interrupted, exacerbating the isolation of a region already affected by bad weather.

Local authorities are urging residents to avoid the riverbanks, reminding them that new waves of precipitation remain possible as long as Melissa continues to move through the Caribbean Sea.

Search and recovery operations continue with the support of volunteers, Civil Protection, and the mayor's office. The priority is to find the missing, assist affected families, and restore access.

Hurricane Melissa is currently continuing its path northwest, but Haiti remains under maximum alert due to residual rains still capable of causing new overflows.