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Santo Domingo : A woman was killed and nearly 1700 tourists were evacuated due to a large fire at a hotel in the Dominican beach resort of Bayahibe, local authorities said on Friday.<\/p>\n
Francesca Valentino, a 46-year-old Italian woman, was killed in the fire at the Viva Wyndham Dominicus Beach Hotel, the country\u2019s Directorate of Out-of-Hospital Emergency Care Services (DAEH) said in a statement.<\/p>\n
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A dramatic fire in an upmarket resort in the Dominican Republic has claimed one life. <\/p>\n
Three people were taken to medical facilities and six others were treated on site, DAEH said. Those affected included guests, visitors and emergency responders.<\/p>\n
Videos shared by local media showed dark clouds of smoke billowing out above the Caribbean coastline, as flames engulfed the resort\u2019s straw roof.<\/p>\n
\u201cPreliminary observations indicate that the fire spread rapidly due to the flammable nature of parts of the roof structures made of palm, as well as wind conditions,\u201d the country\u2019s Emergency Operations Center (COE) said.<\/p>\n
Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, which franchises some 8400 hotels worldwide, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The fire was brought under control while its causes were still being investigated, the operations centre said. Guests were moved to nearby hotels. The Viva Wyndham Dominicus Palace, part of the same chain, did not sustain any damage.<\/p>\n
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A flammable roof and windy conditions may have led to the fire spreading quickly. <\/p>\n
\u201cTourist activities in Bayahibe and the surrounding area remain unaffected and continue to take place safely and as normal,\u201d COE added.<\/p>\n
Famous for its clear water and white sand beaches, the Dominican Republic is the Caribbean\u2019s top tourist destination, receiving some 5.6 million visitors in the first five months of this year.<\/p>\n
Reuters <\/p>\n
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