According to President Luis Abinader, Eleven people were killed and several others injured after an explosion ripped through a small town in the Dominican Republic.
The explosion on Monday jolted the commercial district of San Cristobal, less than 30 kilometres from the capital of Santo Domingo, igniting a fire that was still burning hours later and erupting a massive column of smoke.
The latest death toll was given Tuesday evening by top emergency official Juan Manuel Mendez, who also stated that officials were working to identify more bodies.
According to emergency officials, 37 of the 59 injured were still hospitalized. Abinader visited the explosion scene earlier in the day, extending condolences to the victims' families.
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A four-month-old baby was among those killed, authorities said Monday. The source of the explosion, as well as its precise location, remain unknown. The explosion damaged numerous nearby businesses, including a hardware shop, a veterinary clinic, and a plastics factory. Several automobiles were burned.
Pictures of the missing were circulated on social media while dozens of others searched surrounding hospitals for missing family members.
Five hundred firefighters and other rescue personnel were dispatched to the location, and search dogs were utilized to sweep through the rubble.
Local media further said that some of the injured had burns on up to 40% of their bodies.
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