President Luis Abinader visited San Cristóbal, a community located west of Santo Domingo, to meet with those affected. The authorities indicated that there were another 10 people missing and that they continued to work to put out the flames between collapsed buildings and burned-out vehicles.
“The search for survivors has been very difficult,” said the president.
Juan Manuel Méndez, director of the Emergency Operations Center, told a press conference on Tuesday that authorities had found the remains of unidentified people inside a building, but were still awaiting forensic results to determine the number of bodies. .
At least 50 other people were injured in the blast Monday at a San Cristóbal shopping center, authorities said. At least 36 of the injured remain hospitalized, according to Joel Santos, minister of the presidency.
Estefani Alcántara reported that her family was shopping when the explosion occurred. His 42-year-old uncle is hospitalized with serious injuries and his aunt is still missing.
Meanwhile, Jeni Benzan de los Santos said that his wife and little niece died during the explosion, while his father remains missing.
The national emergency telephone service reported that the explosion occurred at a bakery in the center of the city, a bustling area known as “Mercado Viejo”, where people buy products ranging from vegetables to clothes. The fire spread to an adjoining hardware store and a nearby furniture store.
More than 500 first responders and officials responded to the blast, which destroyed four buildings and damaged nine others, Mendez told reporters.
The victims included a 4-month-old baby who died of head trauma and a woman who worked at a bank, according to authorities.
José Ramón Ramírez Rivera, owner of a local veterinary clinic, told reporters that one of his 15 employees is still missing.
“The office wall fell on me. I couldn’t breathe,” she recounted.
Juan Jiménez, a farmer who lives several kilometers away, said he initially thought it was thunder, given the usual storms that occur in August. He is now waiting for information about his cousin, a 31-year-old teacher who is still missing.
Smoke continued to engulf the city center on Tuesday, and Rivera urged everyone to wear masks. “This is smoke that is mixing with chemicals,” he warned.
Rivera said he and other officials will go door-to-door to make sure people have masks and determine if they have any respiratory or skin problems. He is also expected to visit patients at a local hospital where people are still looking for their loved ones.
“The first 24 hours is very important,” he said, adding that the injuries included burns, fractures and respiratory problems.
Abinader said that the government would set up two mobile hospitals to provide additional treatment, including psychological services, to those affected.
For his part, Santos said the government would launch an investigation to determine if the business where the explosion occurred was operating under proper regulations.
It is not clear what caused the explosion, and authorities have not provided a preliminary estimate of damage.
“Unfortunately, these catastrophes have an order of priority: save lives, save assets, ensure that the incident is extinguished, and then assess damage,” Santos said at a press conference.
San Cristóbal, the birthplace of dictator Rafael Trujillo, was the site of another tragedy nearly 23 years ago. An arms depot exploded in October 2000, killing at least two people and injuring more than two dozen, forcing authorities to evacuate thousands.
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Coto reported from San Juan, Puerto Rico.
FOUNTAIN: Associated Press
