A large fire destroyed much of the Viva Dominicus Beach by Wyndham resort in Bayahibe, Dominican Republic, and forced the evacuation of almost 1,700 tourists staying at the complex.

The fire broke out on Friday at the hotel located on the southeast coast of the country, one of the most visited tourist areas in the Caribbean. The flames advanced rapidly through different areas of the resort and caused an emergency evacuation of guests and employees.

An Italian tourist died after the emergency. The victim was identified by international media as Francesca Valentino, 46 ​​years old. According to reports cited by People, the woman suffered smoke inhalation after evacuating to the beach and was then taken to a medical center, where she died.

In addition, several people received medical assistance. The Dominican authorities are investigating the causes of the fire, while the first reports indicate that the strong winds and the palm roofs of part of the complex would have favored the rapid spread of the fire.

Images broadcast on local networks and media showed columns of smoke, flames over resort structures and tourists evacuating the area. Guests were transferred to nearby hotels and accommodations in Bayahibe and Punta Cana.

The affected complex is part of a tourist area that is very popular with international travelers. Bayahibe is known for its beaches, excursions to Isla Saona and all-inclusive resorts, with a strong presence of European and Latin American tourists and visitors traveling from the United States.

As reported by the Associated Press, many guests lost personal documents during the evacuation. For this reason, Dominican authorities and hotel staff began to coordinate assistance with foreign embassies to help affected tourists return to their countries.

The neighboring resort, Viva Wyndham Dominicus Palace, was not affected by the fire and continued to operate normally, according to available reports.

For now, authorities have not reported a definitive cause of the fire. The investigation continues as teams review the damage and move forward with assistance to evacuated tourists.

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