Fire destroys home and business in West Santiago
Diony Torres Bueno experienced a dawn of terror in the Mella 1 sector, in West Santiago, after a voracious fire consumed his residence and his shutter manufacturing workshop. The incident, which occurred around 2:00 a.m. this Friday, left material losses valued at more than RD$1.9 million.
Torres Bueno recounted that he was praying when an intense smell of burning interrupted his moment of reflection. Shortly after, a loud crash alerted him to the partial collapse of the structure, marking the beginning of a distressing struggle to survive.
I was praying when I perceived the smell. Upon trying to exit through the front door, I fell to the floor and, upon reacting, I realized that the flames had already blocked the entire exit.
Diony Torres Bueno
A desperate escape
Faced with the impossibility of using the main exit, the affected person was forced to seek a desperate alternative. He managed to open a window at the back of the house and jumped toward a cherry tree to escape the fire that was rapidly advancing through the property.
Once safe, their cries for help mobilized the neighbors in the area, who came to their aid while emergency units arrived at the scene to fight the flames. Despite the magnitude of the incident, no fatalities were reported.
Economic impact and causes
- The fire destroyed the entire home and the blind workshop.
- Machinery, specialized tools, and various work equipment were lost.
- Preliminary economic losses exceed 1.9 million Dominican pesos.
So far, the causes that originated the fire remain under investigation. The competent authorities are working to determine the origin of the fire that left Torres Bueno without his home and without his main source of economic livelihood.
