At least 20 people, including children, were reported killed in Haiti on Thursday as an armed gang attacked a small town.
Initial reports indicate that more than 50 other people were wounded as Gran Grif gang members rampaged through Pont-Sondé in the central Artibonite region north-west of the capital, Port-au-Prince.
Video footage showed groups of people fleeing the violence on motorbikes and on foot.
The gang also burned homes and cars.
Government prosecutor, Venson François, called the attack a massacre.
Criminal gangs continue to instill fear in Haiti, despite the presence of the Kenya-led Multinational Security Support mission.
Media reports describe Gran Grif as one of the most violent of Haiti's gangs.
In January last year, members were accused of attacking a police station near Port-Sondé and killing six officers. It is also blamed for forcing the closure of a hospital serving more than 700 thousand people.
The gang, which has about 100 members, has been accused of crimes including murder, rape, robberies and kidnappings.
According to a UN report, a former legislator, Prophane Victor, who represented the Artibonite department, began arming young men who eventually formed the Gran Grif gang to secure his election and control over the area.
Last month, the United States imposed sanctions on Victor.
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