Two Canadians Killed, 13 Injured in Dominican Republic Bus Crash

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic – A bus accident in the Dominican Republic on Sunday night resulted in the deaths of two Canadian tourists and injuries to 13 others, authorities reported Monday. The incident occurred near La Romana, east of the capital, Santo Domingo, in a popular tourist area.

According to the Dominican Republic’s National Health Service, the injured include eight men and five women, ranging in age from 37 to 72. Two of the injured passengers were transferred to a specialized trauma hospital due to the severity of their conditions Yahoo News.

The tourists were traveling from Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ) to hotels in Juan Dolio when the bus slid off the road CBC News. WestJet, the parent company of Sunwing Vacations, confirmed that Sunwing customers were on board the bus and that “casualties” occurred CBC News.

Canadian Government Assistance

The Embassy of Canada to the Dominican Republic stated it is providing consular assistance to those affected by the accident. Canadians in need of emergency consular assistance are encouraged to contact the Emergency Watch and Response Centre Travel Market Report.

The embassy posted on social media, “We are aware of a tourist bus accident involving Canadians in the Dominican Republic and are in contact with local authorities. We recognize the stress this situation may cause impacted individuals and loved ones and are providing consular assistance” CBC News.

Travel Advisories

The Canadian government currently advises a high degree of caution when traveling to the Dominican Republic due to crime Travel.gc.ca. It also notes that land and sea borders with Haiti are closed to travellers and the security environment in border areas, particularly Dajabón, is highly unpredictable Travel.gc.ca.

The Dominican Republic has one of the world’s highest traffic fatality rates, according to the World Health Organization Yahoo News.