The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press, said the number of missing remains at 10 as forensic authorities are still trying to determine whether the additional bodies match the missing.
Emergency personnel have not yet been able to gain full access to the building where Monday’s explosion occurred at a bakery in the city of San Cristóbal, which is located a short distance west of the capital Santo Domingo.
Distraught friends and family are wandering out of hospitals and morgues with clear signs of anger and frustration, saying no one has been able to provide them with any information.
Meanwhile, the authorities are investigating the causes of the explosion and promise to take action against any establishment that is not complying with the regulations.
Industry and Commerce Minister Ito Bisonó told reporters that authorities have already determined that there were no tanks of any kind in the area, adding that he is waiting for authorities to investigate what happened.
“It has been of great magnitude,” he said of the explosion.
Bisonó testified inside a cathedral in San Cristóbal where a mass was held on Wednesday in honor of the victims, in which mourners dressed mostly in white occupied the entire venue.
Juan Manuel Mendez, director of the Emergency Operations Center, told a news conference Tuesday night that if an unidentified factory was operating illegally, as some residents have claimed, the investigation should bring that out. the light.
“Whether there is some type of guilt or not, the investigation will throw it up,” he declared. “Legal actions will not be long in coming.”
At least 59 people were injured in the blast, which occurred in a busy commercial area in the center of the city, destroying four buildings and damaging nine others. More than 30 people remain hospitalized with injuries such as fractures, burns and respiratory problems. Two firefighters also received medical attention for smoke inhalation.
More than 30 ambulances and around 500 elements, including rescuers and agents, responded to the scene of the incident.
The toxic smoke still floats over the place of the explosion, for which the authorities called on the population to wear masks.
San Cristóbal, the birthplace of dictator Rafael Trujillo, was the scene of another explosion nearly 23 years ago. An arms depot exploded in October 2000, leaving at least two dead and more than twenty injured, forcing the authorities to evacuate thousands of people.
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Dánica Coto contributed to this report from San Juan, Puerto Rico.
FOUNTAIN: Associated Press
