A large fire almost completely destroyed a luxury resort in the Dominican Republic on Friday, forcing the evacuation of almost 1,700 tourists. Local media reported an Italian tourist died in the fire and several other tourists required medical assistance.
The Viva Dominicus Beach by Wyndham resort is located in Bayahibe, a popular destination for international tourists on the Dominican Republic’s southeastern coast and is offered in Canada by Sunwing and WestJet Vacations, along with Transat. No client updates were available from those companies at press time.
Authorities reported about 1,690 tourists had to be evacuated from the resort to other hotels and nearby housing facilities because of the massive blaze.
The cause of the blaze was under investigation and the country’s Emergency Operations Centre said it appeared the “fire spread rapidly” due to wind and because part of the resort’s roof was made of thatch.
Viva Wyndham’s other nearby resort, the Dominicus Palace, was not damaged by the fire and was operating as normal, the centre said.
Dominican authorities on Saturday were working to ensure that foreign tourists caught up in a fire could return to their home countries.
“Unfortunately, they lost their identity documents, including their passports,” said Amanda Santana, a hotel executive. “We have been coordinating with the embassies and governments of those countries to facilitate the entry of those guests.”
Hotel management officials said they are working with the police to expedite the filing of reports online for guests who need them. They added that tourists have been relocated to hotels in Punta Cana and Bayahibe.
General Manuel Méndez, director of the country’s Emergency Operations Center, said authorities were investigating the cause of the Italian woman’s death. He also said tourism activities in the area were continuing as normal.
At the time of the fire, the hotel was operating at 84% occupancy.
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