In Haiti, a celebration for Carnival became a source of sorrow and concern, after a power line came into contact with a crowded float during a parade early Tuesday. Conflicting reports on the number of people killed range from 15 to 20, with dozens more wounded.
Details about the tragic accident are still coming in; we'll update this post as news emerges.
Video of the incident shows a large float for a band named the Barikad Crew trying to move beneath a series of wires, but at least one of the people who were standing high on the float seems to come into contact with a wire, setting off a bright flash of light and drawing gasps from the crowd.
"I saw the wire falling and sparks and I started running for my life," Natacha Saint Fleur, 22, tells the AP.
A sudden panic hit the area around the float, possibly causing more injuries, according to multiple news outlets.
On Twitter, the hashtag #Kanaval2015 abruptly went from being a place to share photos of costumes and parties to a forum offering sympathy and prayers for those affected by the accident. Some also called for Kanaval, as the three-day celebration is known in Haiti, to be called off early.
"The death toll could be higher given that several of the health centers that had received patients in critical conditions had not yet provided a final report on the situation of the injured," according to the Haitian-Caribbean News Network.
The network adds, "It is not clear whether the last carnival day (later on Tuesday) will actually take place. Officials plan to provide more information within the next hours."
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