Videos shared by local media showed dark clouds of smoke rising over the Caribbean coast as the thatched roof of the resort burned. “The fire spread rapidly due to the flammability of parts of the palm frond roof structures and also due to the wind,” the country’s Center for Emergency Operations (COE) said.
The Viva Wyndham Dominicus Beach hotel complex is popular among foreign tourists, including Czechs. It is located on the southeast coast of the Dominican Republic near the city of Bayahíbe.
Local media reports that a forty-six-year-old woman from Italy died, six tourists who inhaled smoke ended up in hospital and three were treated on the spot. Another 1,700 tourists had to be evacuated to nearby hotels because the fire completely destroyed the facilities, writes the kplctv website. At the moment, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs does not have any information that the event would directly affect Czech citizens.
What was the cause remains unclear, but the case is being investigated.
Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, which owns the affected resort, operates approximately 8,400 hotels worldwide.
Photo: Gojko Culibrk, Reuters
The complex where the fire burned is located on the southeastern coast of the Dominican Republic near the city of Bayahíbe.
The Dominican Republic, known for its clear water and white sand beaches, is the most important tourist destination in the Caribbean, where approximately 5.6 million visitors visited during the first five months of this year.
