A gas leak in a Santo Domingo residential building caused an explosion that critically injured a 37-year-old doctor and her two children, diariolibre.com reported.
The incident occurred at the Andares del Mirador residential complex. Loida Díaz Lima and her children, a 12-year-old boy and a 7-year-old girl, sustained severe burns and remain hospitalized in intensive care.
Mabel Elizabeth Jones Luciano, director of the Dr. Robert Reid Cabral children’s hospital, stated that both children are on mechanical ventilation in the pediatric intensive care unit. “Both are admitted to the Intensive Care Unit, under mechanical ventilation,” Jones Luciano told diariolibre.com.
“We have had a favorable evolution in relation to yesterday, as today the children woke up with their vital signs and blood work within expected values. Although the children have improved within their respective critical conditions, this does not mean they are out of danger.”
The boy sustained second- and third-degree burns across 50 percent of his body. His sister suffered first- and second-degree burns covering 30 percent of her surface area.
Jones Luciano noted that the girl experienced complications in one hand, which suffered the most severe damage. Doctors plan to utilize skin grafts and other methodologies to treat the affected areas as the patients stabilize.
Wiltón Rodríguez, the father of the children, stated that the children’s mother is showing steady improvement and responding well to medications. “Yesterday was the last visit I made to her,” Rodríguez told diariolibre.com. “Thank God she has responded well to the treatments and the doctors have done a good job. The children also remain stable and evolving well to the medications.”
Regarding potential legal action, Rodríguez indicated that family focus remains entirely on the medical recovery of the mother and children. Legal steps will be evaluated after health conditions stabilize.
Ramón De La Cruz, a resident at Andares del Mirador, explained that community accounts point to exposed gas lines for the washing machine, dryer, and water heater as the source of the leak.
“The connection for the kitchen, where the stove was plugged in, had no problems; however, the other two connections were open and, apparently, gas was leaking from there,” De La Cruz told diariolibre.com. “Supposedly, when the boy tried to connect an electronic device, a spark caused the explosion.”
The blast destroyed a glass balcony railing and generated heavy smoke and structural debris. Local residents have raised concerns regarding safety standards in newly constructed residential buildings following the incident.
Residents report that unsealed gas connections for the washing machine, dryer, and water heater allowed gas to accumulate. A spark occurred when a child attempted to connect an electronic device, according to community resident Ramón De La Cruz.
The 12-year-old boy has second- and third-degree burns covering 50 percent of his body. The 7-year-old girl has first- and second-degree burns covering 30 percent of her body, with specific complications in one hand.
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