Eleven killed in explosion in Dominican Republic

SAN CRISTOBAL, Dominican Republic (HRNW) – Eleven people have died after an explosion ripped through a small town in the Dominican Republic, with 10 others missing and dozens injured, President Luis Abinader said on Tuesday.

The blast on Monday shook the commercial area of San Cristobal, less than 30 kilometers (18 miles) from the capital Santo Domingo, sparking a fire that was still burning hours later, and a huge column of smoke.

Top emergencies official Juan Manuel Mendez released the updated death toll on Tuesday evening, saying officials were working to identify more remains.

“There are 11 (identified bodies), but there are more corpses,” he said.

Of the 59 people injured, 37 remained hospitalized, emergency officials said.