A 46-year-old Italian woman has died after a huge fire tore through a luxury beach resort in the Dominican Republic, forcing the evacuation of nearly 1,700 guests and staff.
The victim was identified as Francesca Valentino, who was staying at the Viva Wyndham Dominicus Beach in Bayahibe, a popular resort town on the Caribbean coast. The DAEH emergency services confirmed her death and said three people were taken to medical facilities while six others were treated on site.
“Italian tourist Francesca Valentino, 46, dies as fire forces 1,700 to evacuate Dominican Republic resort.”
The blaze broke out in the early hours of Friday, spreading rapidly through the resort’s thatched-roof buildings, fanned by strong winds, according to the country’s Emergency Operations Center (COE). Drone footage showed multiple buildings engulfed in flames and thick black smoke billowing over the coastline.
Italian news agency Ansa reported that the Italian ambassador met Valentino’s husband at the hospital. The embassy is assisting around 285 Italian tourists who were at the resort or nearby, issuing emergency passports to those who lost travel documents in the fire and arranging flights home.
The COE said the fire was brought under control and guests were moved to other hotels, adding that tourist activities in the area were unaffected. The resort chain Viva Resorts issued a statement on Facebook: “We are saddened that a guest perished and we sent our thoughts to the family, while we await autopsy results to determine the cause. All other guests and staff were safely evacuated.”
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, which franchises about 8,400 hotels globally, said in a statement: “Hotel teams safely evacuated guests and staff,” but confirmed one guest died. The hotel, independently owned and operated, is closed until further notice.
The Dominican Republic, the Caribbean’s most visited destination, attracted nearly 11.7 million international visitors in 2025, according to the tourism ministry. An investigation into the fire’s cause is ongoing.