A woman was killed and almost 1,700 people had to flee after a massive fire broke out at a luxury resort in the Dominican Republic on Friday, authorities said.

The incident occurred at the Viva Wyndham Dominicus Beach Hotel in Bayahibe, located on the Caribbean nation’s southeastern coast.

Fire officials tamed the blaze and an investigation is underway to determine its cause.

There was no immediate statement from the hotel franchise

What do we know about the casualties?

An Italian woman — identified as 46-year-old Francesca Valentino — died in the blaze, the DAEH emergency service said in a statement.

It added that three people had been taken to medical facilities and six others were receiving treatment on the site.

According to authorities, the fire forced some 1,690 tourists to be evacuated from the resort to other hotels and nearby establishments.

Fire spread ‘rapidly’

The flames almost completely devoured the hotel in the resort town, which is popular among international tourists.

The country’s Emergency Operations Center said that initial observations indicated the “fire spread rapidly” because the resort’s roof was made of thatch and due to wind conditions.

Drone footage being circulated in the local media showed plumes of dark smoke gushing out above the white sand coastline as fires burnt over multiple straw roof structures in the complex.

Edited by: Wesley Dockery

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