In brief
A massive blaze erupted early Friday at the Viva Wyndham Dominicus Beach resort in Bayahibe, Dominican Republic, scorching several structures and filling the sky with black smoke. The fire claimed the life of a 46‑year‑old Italian tourist and injured several others, though most guests were safely evacuated and transferred to nearby hotels. Local emergency services, aided by the Italian embassy, managed the aftermath, providing medical treatment and arranging emergency passports for affected travelers. The resort, part of the Wyndham Hotels group, remains closed pending investigations into the fire’s cause.
A massive fire broke out early on Friday at the Viva Wyndham Dominicus Beach resort in Bayahibe, the Caribbean town that’s famous for its turquoise waters and sandy stretches. The blaze roared through several buildings, spewing thick black smoke that filled the air and posed a serious threat to the almost 1,700 guests staying on the premises.
Italian authorities confirmed that the sole fatality was a 46‑year‑old tourist. The Dominican emergency services agency, the DAEH, reported that the woman was taken to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead, and that three other guests were transported to medical facilities while a further six received on‑site treatment. No other deaths were recorded among the evacuees.
Drone footage taken by the U.S. Air Force and reported to the BBC shows the extensive reach of the inferno—buildings with thatched roofs and wooden panels were quickly consumed by flames, the wind only accelerating the spread. The fire was brought under control by local firefighters within a few hours, but the resort had still to close its doors.
The Emergency Operations Centre (COE) of the Dominican Republic stated that guests had already been relocated to nearby hotels and that tourist activities around Bayahibe were unaffected. Meanwhile, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts confirmed in a short statement that staff and guests were safely evacuated, but that one guest was killed. The company said it was awaiting autopsy results to determine the exact cause of the tragedy.
Italian news agency Ansa reported that the Italian ambassador met the wife of the deceased in a hospital in Santo Domingo, and has been working with the embassy to provide emergency passports for up to 285 Italian tourists whose travel documents were destroyed in the fire. Arrangements are also being made for flights back home.
The resort’s owner, which runs the site independently, will remain closed until further notice as authorities investigate the origin of the blaze—initial findings point to wind conditions and the flammable thatched roofs as major factors that accelerated the spread.
Images of the scene were captured by Reuters’ drone crews, showing the dark cloud of smoke rising over the beach and the vibrant blue sea beyond. The footage offers a stark reminder of the disaster’s intensity.
