President Luis Abinader of the Dominican Republic reported on Tuesday that ten people were killed, 11 are still missing, and dozens were injured in an explosion that occurred in a commercial area.
Less than 30 kilometers (18 miles) from the capital Santo Domingo, in the commercial district of San Cristobal, there was an explosion on Monday that started a fire that was still burning hours later and sent up a huge column of smoke. Several automobiles sustained burn damage.
Abinader visited the site, sending condolences to the relatives of “the 10 people — men, women, and children — reported dead.”
“We are doing all that is humanly possible… to investigate the situation of 11 missing. There are around 37 people hospitalized,” he said.
A four-month-old baby was among the fatalities, according to the authorities on Monday.
Both the explosion’s exact origin and its cause remain unknown.
The explosion had an impact on a number of nearby companies, including a hardware shop, a veterinary clinic, and a plastics factory.
Numerous people looked for missing family members at neighboring hospitals as images of the missing were shared on social media.
500 firefighters and other rescue personnel were dispatched to the location, and dogs were brought in to rummage through the rubble.
