A major fire tore through the Dominican Republic resort destination of Bayahibe on Friday, leaving at least one Italian visitor dead and several others injured.
The victim was identified as 46-year-old Italian citizen Francesca Valentino, who died at the Viva Wyndham Dominicus Beach Hotel, the Dominican Republic’s Directorate of Out-of-Hospital Emergency Services (DAEH) said.
DAEH said at least nine additional people received medical attention for injuries, including three who were transported to medical centers outside the resort.
Local officials evacuated 1,690 tourists from the well-known Caribbean resort area, according to The Associated Press.
A drone view shows a fire at the Viva Wyndham Dominicus Beach Hotel in Bayahibe, La Altagracia, Dominican Republic, June 19, 2026 in this screen grab obtained from social media video. (Gojko Culibrk/via REUTERS)
Drone footage captured thick smoke rising from multiple structures near the shoreline, sending broad gray clouds over the beach and darkening the vivid turquoise water below.
Officials said early findings suggest the flames moved quickly because portions of the roof structures were made from highly flammable palm materials and because of windy conditions, Reuters reported.
A drone view shows a fire at the Viva Wyndham Dominicus Beach Hotel in Bayahibe, La Altagracia, Dominican Republic, June 19, 2026 in this screen grab obtained from social media video. (Gojko Culibrk/via REUTERS)
Guests were moved to other hotels, such as the Viva Wyndham Dominicus Palace, a nearby hotel run by the same operators as the Viva Wyndham Dominicus Beach Hotel. The Palace did not sustain any damage, according to Reuters.
Police officers operate following a fire at a Viva Dominicus resort in Bayahibe, La Altagracia, Dominican Republic, June 19, 2026, in this still taken from a social media video. (Junito Mieses/via REUTERS)
“Tourist activities in Bayahibe and the surrounding area remain unaffected and continue to take place safely and as normal,” the Dominican Republic’s Emergency Operations Center (COE) also noted.
Video of the aftermath shows a drone spraying water on a charred and destroyed block of buildings as the structures continue to smolder.
News Agency contacted DAEH, COE and Wyndham Hotels and Resorts for additional comment.
