Witness recounts moments of terror after tanker explosion on the Malecón
A tragic accident that occurred this Thursday morning on the Malecón of Santo Domingo left two people dead and multiple vehicles involved. Kelvin Ramírez, a fisherman who was in the area at the time of the event, offered details about the moments when the fuel tanker collided and caught fire.
According to Ramirez’s testimony, the initial impact occurred when the tanker truck hit a vehicle traveling in front of it. After the collision, the tanker moved toward the sidewalk, overturning onto its right side, which caused an immediate explosion and the start of a large-scale fire.
I only heard the impact and when I turned around, that was when I saw what had already happened.
Kelvin Ramírez, eyewitness.
Event details and material damage
The fisherman, who was carrying out his daily tasks around 6:30 in the morning, reported that the area was being used by other people to exercise, given the early hour. Ramirez tried to provide initial help to the driver of the impacted vehicle, but the rapid spread of the burning fuel forced him to retreat for safety.
The National District Fire Department confirmed that four vehicles were involved in the incident:
- A tanker with a capacity of 10,000 gallons of fuel.
- An SUV.
- A car.
- A motorcycle.
Ramírez mentioned having seen another person near the scene who, while trying to escape the flames, suffered an injury to one of their arms while heading toward the seashore. The witness clarified that he could not determine if the tanker driver was speeding, because he had his back turned when the initial blast occurred.
The competent authorities are keeping an investigation open to clarify the exact causes that led to this unfortunate accident that has shocked the Dominican capital.
