By Manuel Peralta
La Romana, Dominican Republic.– The Emergency Operations Center (COE) reported this Monday the official conclusion of the search, rescue, and verification operation deployed following the explosion that occurred on a tourist vessel in the waters of La Romana province.
According to the official report, 23 people were injured as a result of the incident. Of that total, 16 patients remain admitted to the Centro Médico Central Romana and 7 are receiving specialized care at the Hospital Canela I, where they continue under medical evaluation.
The authorities confirmed that no fatalities were recorded nor were other injured persons located in connection with the incident.
With the culmination of rescue efforts, the institutions that make up the National System for Prevention, Mitigation and Response are now concentrating their efforts on the care, stabilization and monitoring of patients, guaranteeing all necessary resources for their recovery and support for their families.
The COE highlighted that the Government’s response was immediate, through the installation of an inter-institutional coordination post that allowed for the rapid mobilization of relief agencies, facilitating the rescue, evacuation, and timely transfer of those affected to health centers.
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Likewise, the agency recognized the valuable collaboration of the tour operators and the vessel personnel who were in the area at the time of the incident, who played a key role in the initial rescue efforts before the arrival of the emergency teams.
The operation involved the Emergency Operations Center (COE), the Provincial Government of La Romana, the Ministry of Tourism, the Directorate of Extra-hospital Emergency Care Services (DAEH), the Yuma Regional Directorate of the National Health Service, the Civil Defense, the Fire Department, the Dominican Republic Navy, the National Police, Politur, and the other institutions that make up the National System for Prevention, Mitigation, and Response.
The authorities reported that investigations are ongoing to establish the causes and circumstances that led to the explosion of the tourist vessel.
Finally, the COE urged the public and the media to stay informed only through official channels and to avoid spreading unverified information.
