A powerful explosion has rocked a bustling market of San Cristobala city near the capital of the Dominican Republiccausing the death of at least three people and injuring more than 30, authorities reported.
The explosion occurred in a bakery in the town of San Cristóbal, which is located a short distance west of Santo Domingo. Authorities said in a statement that the fire spread to a hardware store next door and a nearby furniture store. At this time it is unknown what caused the explosion.
In the streets you could see charred cars and rubble from a couple of collapsed buildings, and thick smoke billowing from the center of town. Several businesses decided to evacuate, and many people came forward to take video of the incident.
The explosion has occurred in an area known as the “Old Market”, where crowds flock daily to buy various goods, from fruit to clothing. The victims were a 4-month-old baby, who died of a head injury, and two adults whose bodies had 90% burns on their skin, according to a statement by Dr. Mario Lama, director of the National Health Service. Several people were taken to a Santo Domingo hospital, including patients with burns on 40% of their bodies, he said.
Pura Casilla, governor of the province of San Cristóbal, has told the Noticias SIN network that the explosion occurred in a commercial area and strongly affected businesses near the center of the city.