A mother of two has been identified as the only person killed in a massive resort fire in the Dominican Republic.
According to CNN, 45-year-old Francesca Valentino died from smoke inhalation after a fire swept through the Viva Wyndham Dominicus Beach Hotel in Bayahibe on Friday. Authorities confirmed she was the sole fatality in the incident, which forced the evacuation of roughly 1,700 people.
Valentino and her husband was visiting friends and relatives in Bayahibe. Her husband is originally from the area, and it was there that the pair first met years earlier.
Viva Wyndham Dominicus Beach Hotel in Bayahibe
The tragedy has sent shockwaves through both the Dominican Republic and Valentino’s hometown of Caserta, north of Naples.
Valentino moved from Caserta to Rome and eventually relocated to the Dominican Republic, where she met the man who would become her husband. The couple married in 2017 and welcomed two daughters before later moving back to Italy.
Valentino eventually opened and operated a small bed and breakfast in Caserta. Her decision to leave Italy behind was featured in a 2018 interview with the Italian television program Mollo tutto e cambio vita (“I’m dropping everything and changing my life” in English), where she reflected on starting over in the Caribbean.
“I left Italy with a two-month plane ticket, but I never went back. I’ve now been living here for four years, found love, got married, and had a daughter, who’s already two years old. I’m happy with my choice; I’d never go back,” Francesca told the program.
“The fire spread rapidly”
Authorities say the fire spread rapidly after breaking out at the resort, according to VT.
According to the Dominican Emergency Operations Center (COE), a combination of highly flammable building materials and weather conditions contributed to the blaze.
“Preliminary observations indicate that the fire spread rapidly due to the flammable nature of parts of the roof structures made of palm, as well as wind conditions,” the agency said.
Although Valentino was the only person who lost her life, several others required medical treatment. The Dominican Republic’s pre-hospital emergency directorate said three people were transported to medical facilities in Bayahibe, while another six were treated at the scene.
Valentino is survived by her husband and their two daughters.
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