Dominican Republic resort fire: Italian tourist dies in Bayahibe fire

Nearly 1,700 people were evacuated from the huge blaze at Viva Wyndham Dominicus Beach in Bayahibe, a popular resort town on the Caribbean coast.

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The woman was a 46-year-old Italian tourist, the DAEH emergency services said in a statement to local media. It added that three people were taken to medical facilities and six others were treated on site.

Drone footage shows how widespread the fire was, with buildings spanning the Viva Wyndham Dominicus Beach in the town of Bayahibe on fire, and thick black smoke billowing into the air.

The cause of the early-morning blaze is not yet known, but an initial investigation found the flames spread quickly due to wind conditions and the flammable thatched roofs on some buildings.

The country's Emergency Operations Center (COE) said the fire had been brought under control and guests had been moved to other hotels.