Dominican resort fire kills Italian tourist, evacuates 1,700 (opens in new tab)

A large fire at the Viva Wyndham Dominicus Beach Hotel in Bayahibe, in the Dominican Republic’s La Altagracia province, killed 46-year-old Italian tourist Francesca Valentino and forced the evacuation of nearly 1,700 guests on Friday, June 19. Dominican emergency officials said three people were taken to medical facilities and six others were treated at the scene; those affected included guests, visitors and emergency responders. Authorities said they brought the fire under control while its ...