Electric wire kills 15 at match in Haiti

A high tension wire snapped and fell, electrocuting 15 people who were gathered to watch a basketball final in Haiti.

Dozens had gathered last night to watch the game in Petit-Goave, about 44 miles from the capital Part-au-Prince, when a short caused the wire to crackle and fall.

The line fell on 14 men and an 11-year-old girl, said mayor Reginald Francois. All 15 died, and two others were slightly injured.

Like most towns on the poverty-stricken Caribbean isle, the coastal town of Petit Goave has been plagued with unreliable electric power for years.

In April, however, an independent power producer began to provide around-the-clock electricity, and streets and public places were illuminated for the first time in months.

It was because of the recent improvements that the basketball tournament could be held at night.

“It’s a tragedy,” Francois said, pointing out that the cash-strapped state-run electricity company has not been able to modernise the dilapidated network of wires, transformers, and telephone poles.