400 deaths The tragedy that marked Jimaní: when the Blanco River swept away hundreds of lives

On May 24, 2004, the fury of the  Blanco River wiped out a large part of the  Las 40  neighborhood in Jimaní, leaving one of the most devastating tragedies recorded in the Dominican Republic.

Twenty-two years have passed since that early morning when the waters swept away homes, trees, belongings, and lives in Independencia province, in the border area between the Dominican Republic and Haiti.

Shortly after midnight , a loud crash alerted residents that the river had overflowed its banks. What had seemed like a dormant waterway for decades became a devastating torrent.

The Soliette  River,  as it is known in Haiti, originates in the La Selle mountain range, at more than  2,680  meters above sea level, and upon entering Dominican territory, it becomes the  Blanco River until it flows into Lake Enriquillo.

The tragedy left indelible scenes. Many houses were reduced to rubble, and not even the rebar remained. Some people drowned, and others were buried under debris and objects swept away by the current.

According to preliminary figures, at least  400 Dominicans died, and some  300 Haitians were swept away by the floodwaters. In addition, more than 270 people are missing, and 250 were injured.

In total, 601 families were affected throughout the municipality, impacting more than 3,300 people.

“Help, help!”

A year ago, a survivor from the Las 40 neighborhood, identified as Tatis, recalled that it was around 12:00 in the morning when his wife told him that water had entered the house.

He said he managed to survive by climbing onto the roof of a neighboring house along with his wife and his three-month-old daughter.

However, not all of her relatives were so lucky. Her grandmother, a niece, neighbors, and other close friends died that night.

“People were shouting:  ‘Help, help, help me.’  But that water was higher than a light pole,” he recalled in statements offered to the YouTube channel Chulo Wey TV.

For her part, Josefina Gabriela Niquel Bórquez recalled that the day was marked by heavy rains from early on and described the scene as heartbreaking.

«Everyone was crying for their loved ones. The night was so dark we couldn’t even see our own hands,» she said.

He also reported that human remains of Haitian citizens, swept away by the current, appeared near his home.

“It was a beautiful area.”

María Virgen Matos recalled the suffering she endured searching for her daughter amidst the chaos of that early morning.

“This was a nice area, with lots of good people ,» he said.

He said he refused to leave the area until he found his daughter, who survived and today, 22 years later, is a soldier.