A powerful explosion, of undetermined origin, in a business in the province of San Cristobal, in the Dominican Republic, killed at least ten people, including a baby. Eleven people are missing and 37 are injured, the country’s president, Luis Abinader, announced on Tuesday (August 15th).
The explosion shook the commercial area of San Cristobal, capital of the province of the same name, on Monday around 3:10 p.m. (local time; 9:10 p.m. Paris time). It caused a fire and a gigantic column of smoke.
“I would like to express my sincere condolences to the families of the ten people – men, women and children – who have died [selon un bilan provisoire] », said the president during a visit to the disaster area. He also reported 11 missing persons and “some 37 people hospitalized”. A previous toll reported three dead and 39 injured.
“We do everything humanly possible (…) to investigate the situation of the eleven missing persons”assured Mr. Abinader. “An investigation will be carried out to determine the origin and the causes of this terrible accident”he added.
Wounded burned on 30 to 40% of the body
The shock wave shook several buildings, including a hardware store, a veterinary clinic and a public ministry building. At this time, it has not been possible to determine exactly where the explosion occurred. Several vehicles were reduced to ashes.
Some 500 members of the security forces, civil protection and fire services have been deployed in the area, the Dominican government said. Canine units are used to search for survivors under the rubble of destroyed buildings. The local press reports people burned on 30% to 40% of the body. “We must save the lives of those who have been affected and injured, and we will do so without any limit of resources”said President Abinader.
San Cristobal Mayor José Montas told the newspaper Listin Diario that the authorities hoped “that in the next few hours the fire be completely extinguished, so that all technicians, firefighters and officials can determine the cause of the explosion”.
In the hospitals located near the scene of the disaster, dozens of people are rushing in search of relatives who could have been present during the explosion. “We want to know what happened to our parent”Daysi Rodriguez told reporters. “He was supposed to be here, but he doesn’t appear on the list. »
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San Cristobal is the fourth most populous province in the country, with nearly 700,000 inhabitants, out of the 10 million in the Dominican Republic. The city of San Cristobal is less than thirty kilometers from the capital, Santo Domingo.