Tourist dead as massive fire destroys luxury resort

An Italian tourist has died and a luxury resort has been destroyed in a dramatic fire in the Caribbean.

The blaze took hold of a luxury resort in the Dominican Republic on Friday, forcing the evacuation of almost 1700 tourists, authorities said.

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Local media reported an Italian tourist died in the fire on the Caribbean island and several other tourists needed medical treatment, AP reported.

Images show intense flames taking over multiple buildings of the beachside hotel, as firefighters with small hoses desperately try and tackle it.

Much of the hotel’s thatched roof was on fire, with thick black smoke pouring into the air by a tropical beach,

The Viva Dominicus Beach by Wyndham resort is in Bayahibe, a popular destination for international tourists on the Dominican Republic’s southeastern coast.

Authorities reported about 1690 tourists had to be evacuated to other hotels and nearby housing because of the fire, AP said.

Holidaymakers nearby flocked to the beach to see what was going on.

Tourist Nicole Anrusyshyn from Canada told NBC helicopters were scooping water from the ocean.

“’It took a long time it felt like to get it contained,” she said.

The cause of the blaze was under investigation, AP says.

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It said the country’s Emergency Operations Centre said it appeared the “fire spread rapidly” due to wind and because part of the resort’s roof was made of thatch.

Viva Wyndham’s other nearby resort, the Dominicus Palace, was not damaged by the fire and was operating as normal, the centre said.