Road accident in northern Haiti leaves at least 17 dead

A road accident in northern Haiti on Saturday has left at least 17 people dead, mostly women, and 18 wounded, according to authorities.

The country's Civil Protection Agency (OPC) said the accident happened at 5am near the town of Limonade, 230km northeast of the capital, Port-au-Prince.

"A truck was trying to avoid a motorcycle carrying three people when it flipped over onto its side on national highway No. 4," said the OPC on Twitter.

The truck was carrying passengers and charcoal from the city of San Rafael to a local market. Witnesses told the press that the accident happened at a spot known as Bonay Duval, in the community of Quartier Morin, and involved another truck, whose occupants were unharmed. The wounded were transported to various hospitals in the region, including the Haitian Red Cross.

Road accidents are frequent in Haiti due to poor road conditions and the recklessness of drivers.

In May 2014, 23 people died in Roseaux, when a truck carrying over 50 merchants and a great amount of cargo flipped over. In October 2014, 23 people died in northern Haiti in a road accident near Saint-Michel.