What started as a day of revelry turned into a day of mourning when at least 20 persons were killed on a packed Carnival float in Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti.

The victims were electrocuted when a pole used to move power lines so the float could pass under it suddenly caught electricity.

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Most of the victims instantly died in a flash of sparks, witnesses said, while other managed to jump off, triggering a panic in the crowd.

Investigators were still trying to determine what kind of pole was used in moving power lines and why it caught electricity.

Wooden poles or stick are ofted used for the purpose, authorities said.

A witness said she saw the wire falling into the float, which caused sparks. The witness said he started running for his life.

At the General Hospital in the Haitan capital, 20 people were confirmed dead. It was still not known if other victims were brought to different medical facilities.

From joining the street dancing, hundreds of revelers trooped to the hospital carrying other victims while others came to search for family members.

The Haiti Carnival is a celebration held over several weeks each year leading up to Mardi Gras. Haitian Defile Kanaval is the Haitian Creole name of the main annual Mardi Gras carnival held in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

The parade is known in Creole as "defile". Haiti's largest annual carnival is held in the capitol and largest city, Port-au-Prince, with smaller celebrations taking part simultaneously in Jacmel, Aux Cayes, and other locations in Haiti.

The annual carnival celebrations coincide with other Mardi Gras carnivals around the world.

Port-au-Prince's annual carnival is one of the largest Mardi Gras carnivals in the Caribbean and North America. The celebrations are funded by the government, businesses and wealthy Haitian families.

TagsHaiti Carnival, Haiti Carnival Accident