12 deaths and 55 injuries! Houses collapse, cars burn!, Sudden explosion near the capital of this country | Great fire | Collapse
On the 14th local time, an explosion occurred near the capital of the Caribbean island country of Dominican Republic, triggering a large fire. As of now, it has resulted in 12 deaths and 55 injuries. Due to the large fire, it is difficult for firefighters to enter some of the burning buildings, and the number of casualties may further increase. The local government has ordered the evacuation of nearby residents.
The Dominican government stated that on the afternoon of the 14th local time, an explosion occurred in a market in San Cristobal, west of the capital Santo Domingo, triggering a large fire. The fire quickly spread to surrounding buildings, causing some houses to collapse and the scene to become chaotic. After the explosion, thick smoke rose from the city center and enveloped multiple blocks. Multiple cars on the street were charred, with debris and debris scattered throughout the ruins. The market where the incident occurred was a major place for locals to purchase daily necessities, and nearby vendors and residents have been evacuated.
Firefighters have rushed to the scene to carry out firefighting operations, but due to the large fire, as of that evening, they were still unable to enter some buildings to extinguish the fire.
Dominican Presidential Office Minister Joel Santos: We are coordinating the use of available resources to save lives as much as possible, and that is what we are doing now.
At present, multiple toll roads leading to the city of San Cristobal have been temporarily closed for the convenience of ambulances. According to a statement released by the Dominican emergency department, the explosion occurred in a bakery, and the cause of the explosion is still unclear.