Deadly Explosion in Dominican Republic Leaves 11 Dead and Dozens Injured

Powerful Explosion in Dominican Republic Leaves 11 Dead and Dozens Injured

SAN CRISTOBAL, Dominican Republic (AP) — The death toll from a powerful explosion near the Dominican Republic’s capital rose to 11 on Tuesday, with dozens injured. Firefighters were searching through smoldering rubble as people gathered outside hospitals, looking for missing loved ones.

President Luis Abinader visited San Cristobal, located just west of Sango Domingo, to meet with those affected, saying an additional 11 people were missing and that authorities were still trying to extinguish the fire amid collapsed buildings and charred vehicles.

“We’re doing everything humanly possible … to investigate the situation of the 11 missing,” he said. “The search for survivors has been very difficult.”

Monday’s explosion also left more than 50 people injured as the blast tore through a bustling commercial center in San Cristobal, authorities said. At least 36 of the injured remained hospitalized, said Joel Santos, minister of the presidency.

Health Minister Daniel Rivera said authorities have still not been able to access “ground zero” where the explosion occurred because the site was still burning.

Estefani Alcántara said her family was shopping when the explosion occurred. Her uncle, 42, is hospitalized with serious injuries and her aunt is still missing.

“We don’t know if she’s dead or alive,” she said with tearful eyes as she waited outside a local hospital, feeling full of “frustration, pain, and distress.”

Meanwhile, Jeni Benzan de los Santos said her sister and baby niece died in the explosion, and that her father remains missing. “They won’t let me into the morgue to see if I can identify my father,” she said.

The country’s emergency telephone system said the explosion occurred at a bakery in the city’s center, a bustling area known as “Old Marketplace,” where people buy goods ranging from vegetables to clothes. The fire then spread to a hardware store next door and a nearby furniture store.

More than 500 first responders and officials responded to the explosion, which destroyed four buildings and damaged nine others, Juan Manuel Méndez, director of the Emergency Operations Center, told reporters.

Among the victims was a 4-month-old baby who died from head trauma and a woman who worked at a bank, officials said.

José Ramón Ramírez Rivera, the owner of a local veterinary clinic, told reporters that one of his 15 employees is still missing.

“An office wall fell on top of me,” he recalled. “I couldn’t breathe.”

Juan Jiménez, a farmer who lives several miles away, said he thought it was thunder at first, given the usual storms that occur in August. He is now waiting for information on his female cousin, a 31-year-old professor who remains missing.

Smoke still engulfed the city center on Tuesday, and Rivera urged everyone to wear face masks. “This smoke is mixed with chemicals,” he warned.

Rivera said he and other officials will go door to door to ensure that people have masks and determine whether they had any respiratory or skin problems. He also was expected to visit patients at a local hospital, where people were still searching for loved ones.

“The first 24 hours are very important,” he said, adding that injuries included burns, fractures, and respiratory problems.

Abinader said the government would set up two mobile hospitals to provide further treatment, including psychological services to those affected.

Meanwhile, Santos said the government is launching an investigation to determine whether the business where the explosion occurred was operating under proper regulations.

It wasn’t clear what caused the explosion, and authorities have not provided a preliminary estimate of damages.

“These catastrophes have an order of priority: save lives, save assets, ensure that the incident is extinguished and then assess damage,” Santos said at a news conference.

San Cristobal, the birthplace of dictator Rafael Trujillo, was the site of another explosion nearly 23 years ago. An arms depot exploded in October 2000, killing at least two people and injuring more than two dozen others, forcing authorities to evacuate thousands.

Coto reported from San Juan, Puerto Rico.

What actions are being taken to locate the 11 missing individuals and investigate the explosion near the Dominican Republic’s capital?

Rewrite:

An explosion near the Dominican Republic’s capital has resulted in the deaths of 11 individuals and caused injuries to dozens more. Rescue teams are working tirelessly to search through the wreckage as worried family members gather outside hospitals, desperately searching for their missing loved ones.

President Luis Abinader traveled to San Cristobal, west of Sango Domingo, to meet with the affected individuals. He revealed that an additional 11 people were still unaccounted for and efforts to extinguish the fire were ongoing amidst the collapsed structures and burnt vehicles.

President Abinader stated, “We are doing everything within our power to investigate the situation and locate the 11 missing individuals. The search for survivors has been incredibly challenging.”

The explosion, which occurred on Monday, caused over 50 individuals to sustain injuries as it ripped through a bustling commercial center in San Cristobal. Joel Santos, Minister of the Presidency, confirmed that at least 36 of the injured individuals were still hospitalized.

Health Minister Daniel Rivera shared that authorities have been unable to access the epicenter of the blast, referred to as “ground zero,” due to ongoing fires.

Estefani Alcántara, whose family was shopping at the time of the explosion, shared her distressing experience. Her 42-year-old uncle suffers from severe injuries and her aunt is still missing. Wiping away tears, she expressed her frustration, pain, and anguish while waiting outside a local hospital.

Another affected individual, Jeni Benzan de los Santos, mourned the loss of her sister and baby niece in the explosion. Furthermore, her father remains missing. Overwhelmed with grief, she lamented, “They won’t let me enter the morgue to see if I can identify my father.”

According to the country’s emergency telephone system, the explosion took place at a bakery in the city’s bustling “Old Marketplace” area. The fire quickly spread to a neighboring hardware store and a nearby furniture store.

Approximately 500 first responders and officials rushed to the scene, where they discovered four destroyed buildings and nine others that suffered significant damage, as reported by Juan Manuel Méndez, director of the Emergency Operations Center.

Among the victims, tragically, was a 4-month-old baby who suffered fatal head trauma and a woman employed at a bank, as per officials.

José Ramón […]