A powerful explosion rocked a bustling market area near the capital of the Dominican Republic on Monday, killing at least three people and injuring dozens more.
Briefing
The explosion occurred at a bakery in the city of San Cristobal, which lies just west of Santo Domingo, the country’s 911 system said in a statement.
Charred cars and debris from several collapsed buildings lined the streets as thick black smoke rose from the city’s centre and enveloped several blocks, prompting businesses to evacuate while crowds gathered to film the incident.
Some said they thought it was a bomb or an earthquake.
Left behind in the rubble were shoes, overturned chairs and even a motorcycle helmet.
The cause
It wasn’t immediately clear what caused the explosion, which officials said sparked a fire that spread from the bakery to a hardware store located next door and a nearby furniture store.
The incident occurred Monday afternoon in an area known as ‘Old Marketplace,’ where throngs of people shop daily for goods ranging from fruits to clothes.
Victims/Casualties
Among the victims was a four-month-old baby who died from a head injury and two adults whose bodies were 90% burned, according to a statement from Dr. Mario Lama, director of the country’s National Health Service.
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A local bank confirmed that one of its female employees died in the explosion.
At least 39 people were reported injured as of late Monday night but the death toll is expected to increase, with firefighters unable to enter certain buildings while they continued to fight the blaze.
As health officials announced the death of three people, civil defence authorities could be seen lifting the bodies of two people who lay on the street near the smouldering site hours after the explosion.
‘Our main objective here has been to safeguard the greatest number of human lives,’ Joel Santos, minister of the presidency, said during a press conference.
Dominican President Luis Abinader said he dispatched a government team to San Cristobal, adding that officials have been tending to victims and their families from the start.
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