Hundreds Scramble To Air Canada Jet

Hundreds of people tried desperately to leave Haiti on Tuesday aboard an Air Canada jet and other international flights as blood was shed for a second consecutive day near the Port-au-Prince airport. More Canadian military personnel flew into the violence-riddled country. A crush of people swarmed the metal barricades outside the departure area of the Mais Gates International Airport, held back by heavily armed U.S. marines inside as the major foreign carriers flew into the Haitian capital for the first time since they had halted flights Feb. 29.

"It's nonsense," said one local man who watched as throngs of people grew angry over their denied entry to the airport. (The American) carriers should know better than to send (just) three flights." He was more complimentary toward Air Canada. "Air Canada even before they left (Feb. 29), they put some additional flights. When they resumed their flights, they put additional flights again."

Just feet from the airport grounds, a man's body lay face down in a pool of blood on a sidewalk in the middle of a roundabout, apparently shot as U.S. marines stood guard around an industrial park. U.S. military officials could not confirm whether their soldiers were involved in the shooting. The body remained in place for hours, seemingly unnoticed by those walking within inches of it - with the exception of one person who stooped quickly to steal the deceased man's shoes. Another man had been shot dead by U.S. marines in the same area on Monday as hundreds of people tried to loot buildings inside the business park's walled compound. Back at the airport, screams could be heard as the crowd pushed in on itself. Many would-be travellers clutched airline tickets while others held high Canadian and American passports, to no avail.

Earlier Tuesday, the United Nations launched an urgent appeal for international assistance for Haiti, asking for $35 million to buy food aid and other supplies, as well as help in rebuilding many of the social services that were destroyed or halted during nearly two months of turmoil.

FMI: www.aircanada.ca