A major fire tore through a beachfront hotel in Bayahibe, a popular resort town in the Dominican Republic, killing one woman and forcing the evacuation of around 1,700 people, authorities said on Friday.
The blaze broke out at the Viva Wyndham Dominicus Beach Hotel, sending thick black smoke into the sky above the Caribbean coastline. Videos shared on social media showed flames and dense smoke engulfing parts of the resort complex as emergency crews worked to contain the fire.
Authorities said those affected included hotel guests, visitors and members of the emergency response teams deployed to the scene.
Preliminary findings indicate that the fire spread quickly because parts of the hotel’s roof were built with palm-based materials, which are highly flammable. Strong wind conditions also appear to have accelerated the spread of the flames, according to the country’s Emergency Operations Center (COE).
The fire was later brought under control, but investigators are still working to determine its exact cause.
Officials said all evacuated guests were relocated to nearby hotels. Meanwhile, the Viva Wyndham Dominicus Palace, another property in the same hotel chain, was not affected by the blaze.
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, which operates thousands of properties worldwide, had not issued a public response at the time of reporting.
