Tourist dead after massive fire breaks out at Dominican Republic resort: Officials
At least one tourist is dead after a massive fire broke out at a resort in the Dominican Republic on Friday, officials said.
Fifteen firefighting units battled the blaze at the Viva Dominicus Beach resort in La Altagracia province, the Dominican Republic Foreign Ministry told ABC News.
The fire began Friday morning around 11 a.m. ET and took about five hours to contain, the Dominican Foreign Ministry said.
A woman, identified as 46-year-old Francesca Valentino from Caserta, Italy, died in the hospital, the foreign ministry said Saturday. Three other people are still hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.
Dramatic images and video show thick smoke rising above the resort, which has nearly 700 rooms.
Nearly 1,700 guests evacuated the resort, relocating to nearby hotels, according to Dominican officials. The evacuees included 177 children and 21 babies.
The property, which is situated between Punta Cana and Santo Domingo, is operated in partnership with Wyndham Hotels & Resorts.
Wyndham said in a statement Saturday the fire was contained by the island's emergency officials in conjunction with various regional fire departments. The hotel will remain closed.
"Hotel teams safely evacuated guests and staff," the hotel company said. "However, we are saddened that one guest perished, and we send our thoughts to the family while we await autopsy results to determine the cause. At this time the hotel, which is independently owned and operated, is closed and will remain so until further notice."
The cause of the fire is unknown at this time and an investigation is underway, Dominican officials said.
-ABC News' Alex Presha contributed to this report.
