The woman killed in the massive inferno that tore through a Dominican Republic resort was an Italian mom of two visiting family on the island when the blaze erupted.
Francesca Valentino was the sole fatality at the Viva Wyndham Dominicus Beach Hotel, which was engulfed in flames Friday. The fire forced 1,700 others to evacuate.
Valentino, 46 was killed by smoke inhalation, authorities said.
She was enjoying a trip with her husband of a decade when the tragedy occurred, Napoli Corriere reported.
The couple was visiting friends and family in Bayahibe, where her husband is originally from and where they first met.
Valentino had moved to the fishing village from Italy and struck up a romance with her husband, with the pair marrying in 2017, according to her Facebook.
They welcomed two daughters on the island before ultimately moving back to Valentino’s native Caserta, a city 22 miles north of Napoli.
A former dancer, Valentino managed a small bed and breakfast.
The mom of two is the only one to have been killed in the fierce and fast-spreading, which authorities say was ignited due to “roof structures made of palm” and unfavorable weather conditions.
“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 Dominican Emergency Operations Center (COE) said.
Three others were taken to medical facilities in Bayahibe, and six others were treated at the scene, according to the Dominican Republic’s pre-hospital emergency directorate.
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