This Thursday afternoon March 17, 2016, a major fire broke out in a Total service station in downtown Hinche, causing heavy flames and thick smoke, following according to first information, the explosion of a truck carrying petroleum products. Local residents panicked were asked to evacuate the area. Some time later the fire was contained, agents of the Minustah was on site to fight the fire and limit the damage.

The National Police of Haiti (PNH), the Directorate of Civil Protection (DPC) the Ministry of Public Health and Population (MSPP), the Haitian Red Cross and the Scouts of Haiti have intervened, however, more 30 injuries have been reported, 2 of the burned were transferred to Port-au-Prince and 1 to Mirebalais hospital Center, 7 people were burned alive according to a provisional toll. L’hôpital Sainte Thérèse de Hinche est débordé par l'afflux de blessés.

Jovenel Moïse, the presidential candidate under the banner PHTK declared « Se avèk anpil tristès ak kè sere mwen aprann aksidan ki rive nan yon estasyon gazolin nan vil Ench. Mwen voye kondoleyans bay tout fanmi moun ki pèdi lavi yo nan aksidan sa a. Mwen pwofite di tout moun Ench ke mwen avè yo e m'ap toujou rete avèk yo nan bon moman tankou nan moman dlo nan je. Mwen mande tout popilasyon an pou lapriyè pou victim yo ak pou tout popilasyon Ench la. »

Jude Célestin, the presidential candidate under the banner LAPEH declared "Se gro doulè kap ravaje m lè m wè sak rive frè m ak sè m nan vil ‪#Hinche‬.

Mwen voye senpati m bay chak fanmi ki viktim nan gro aksidan sila. Santiman, doulè ak tristès mwen al jwenn nou, mwen la avèk nou nan moman tristès sila e map priye pou ‪Haiti‬ ak moun viktim nan vil Hinche. Bondye voye je sou Haiti ak viktim nan vil Hinche"

For the moment the material and human final toll remains unknown... the exact cause of the fire is still under investigation.

The Ministry of Interior made a provisional assessment of the fire : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-16900-haiti-hinche-the-ministry-of-interior-made-a-provisional-assessment-of-the-fire.html

Message of sympathy from Total Haiti : https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-16901-icihaiti-fire-hinche-message-of-sympathy-from-total-haiti.html

SL/ HaitiLibre