A woman has died after a huge fire tore through a luxury beach resort in the Dominican Republic, with some 1,700 tourists evacuated to escape the raging inferno. Italian tourist Francesca Valentino, 46, lost her life after the blaze broke out at the Viva Dominicus Beach by Wyndham in Bayahibe on the country’s southeastern coast on Friday.
Three people were taken to hospital, while six others, including guests, visitors and emergency responders, were treated at the scene. Hundreds of holidaymakers were moved to nearby hotels and other accommodation as firefighters battled to contain the flames. Dramatic footage shared by local media showed thick black smoke billowing over the Caribbean coastline as large sections of the resort, including its thatched roof, were engulfed by the blaze.
One witness took to social media to express how hard firefighters were working to extinguish the blaze due to the sheer size of the flames.
They said: “Although fire trucks are already on the scene, the magnitude of the blaze exceeds the available equipment and greater support is required with higher-impact units to fully extinguish it.”
The Dominican Republic’s Emergency Operations Centre (COE) said preliminary findings suggested the fire spread rapidly because of strong winds and the flammable palm roofing used in parts of the complex.
The fire has since been brought under control, but an investigation into its cause is continuing.
The neighbouring Viva Wyndham Dominicus Palace resort was not damaged and remains open, while the COE said tourist activities in Bayahibe and the surrounding area are continuing as normal.
The Dominican Republic is the Caribbean’s most visited tourist destination, attracting more than 5.6 million visitors during the first five months of this year.
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