Preliminary media reports indicate a major blast that started in a mattress factory or hardware store in San Cristóbal, the province west of Greater Santo Domingo, resulted in at least four dead and more than 33 injured. Diario Libre says that early reports indicate that the fire could have originated at the DT Ferretería, but promptly extended to adjacent businesses, including a veterinarian clinic, a plastics factory and the offices of the public prosecutors of San Cristobal.
The blast was so intense that as reported most in the area thought an earthquake had happened. Once the fire was put out, the area appears as if a bomb had been dropped. More dead could be found in the debris.
At around 3pm of Monday, 14 August, the explosion on Calle Pedro Ayala disrupted life in the center of the provincial capital San Cristobal. Dozens of persons were caught inside the impacted area. The blast was such it affected neighboring buildings and everyone who was transiting by the city center street.
The smoke and blaze that followed caused chaos in the environs. The Juan Pablo Pina Public Hospital received the first dozen of injured after firemen, Police and 911 unit workers were sent to assist the victims and cordon off the area. Others were later taken to private clinics in San Cristobal. The most seriously burned were taken to the Ney Arias Public Hospital’s burn center in Santo Domingo.
Four water tank trunks were immediately sent to assist the work of the firefighters. Army troops were also sent to clear the area and assist in the rescue.
As reported, the blaze was still going at 6pm. More than 20 firefighters trucks and crews from San Cristobal and Greater Santo Domingo were sent to work to put out the fire.
Several vehicles in the area were also charred in the intense fire. Persons driving past at the time were severely injured. Adjacent buildings were suffered major damages, too.
Listin Diario reports that at 10pm, the firefighters were still working to cool off the area and stop the fire.
Several of the more severely injured were transferred by land or helicopter to the Ney Arias Lora public hospital’s burn center in Santo Domingo.
Joel Santos, Minister of the Presidency, was sent to oversee the rescue and victim assistance efforts. He said the priority is to save lives, assets, put out the dangerous situation, assess the damages, and investigate what happened, as reported in Listin Diario.
Read more in Spanish:
Listin Diario
Listin Diario
Diario Libre
Diario Libre
Noticias SIN
15 August 2023