One person died and approximately 1,690 guests were evacuated when a fire consumed the Viva Wyndham Dominicus Beach Hotel, a large resort in the coastal town of Bayahibe in the Dominican Republic’s La Altagracia province, on Friday. Local emergency authorities confirmed the death of an Italian tourist, later identified as Francesca Valentino, aged 46.

According to the country’s Emergency Operations Center (COE) and the Directorate of Out-of-Hospital Emergency Care Services (DAEH), the fire broke out in the morning and spread rapidly, fuelled by palm-thatch roofing and strong winds. Video footage showed flames engulfing the thatched structures and thick black smoke billowing over the Caribbean shoreline. While the fire was brought under control, its cause remains under investigation. The adjacent Viva Wyndham Dominicus Palace, part of the same Wyndham group, was not damaged.

Accounts of the victim’s death vary slightly among official sources. Some describe her dying at the scene, while Italian diplomatic channels report she initially fled to the beach with other tourists, then lost consciousness after inhaling carbon monoxide when a wave of smoke reached the shore. She was transported to hospital in a private vehicle but did not survive. Three other people were taken to medical facilities, and six received on-site treatment; those affected included guests, visitors and emergency responders. No other fatalities have been reported.

The Italian embassy in Santo Domingo dispatched officials to assist the victim’s husband and the roughly 285 Italian citizens believed to have been staying at the resort. A repatriation flight carrying 130 Italians was scheduled for Saturday. The COE stated that all evacuated guests were relocated to nearby hotels and that tourism activities in Bayahibe continue normally. The Dominican Republic is the Caribbean’s most visited destination, receiving 5.6 million tourists in the first five months of this year.