SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic — Authorities in the Dominican Republic stated late Friday that they are pursuing a criminal prosecution against a plastics manufacturer based on information discovered during an investigation into a strong explosion that killed at least 31 people earlier this week.
According to a joint statement published by police and the Public Ministry, the blast occurred at a company called Vidal Plast, not a bakery, as authorities had previously stated. The explosion happened Monday afternoon in a bustling business center in San Cristobal, just west of Santo Domingo’s capital.
“The Public Ministry has evidence that calls into question the criminal responsibility of those responsible for the deaths of dozens of people and the loss of millions of dollars,” the statement added, citing prosecutor Fadulia Rosa Rubio.
The ministry looked into many people but did not name them.
The owners of Vidal Plast could not be reached for comment right away. According to corporate executives, the corporation recycles, buys, and sells plastic products.
Authorities also stated that they have proof that a fire broke out at the business in March, caused by a spark and a chemical substance and that the corporation failed to take any precautions “despite knowing the high risk of its operations.”
Authorities in the Dominican Republic stated late Friday that they are pursuing a criminal prosecution against a plastics manufacturer.
The minister of industry and trade, Victor Bisonó, told reporters that the municipality had already closed the factory, but he did not disclose further specifics.
According to N Digital, a well-known Dominican online daily, the company was created in 2003. According to one of the company’s founders, the facility was not working, and two employees were simply removing items from the site when the explosion occurred, killing one of them.
Officials raised the death toll from 28 to 31 on Friday. So far, seven of the dead have been identified, according to authorities. The administration stated on Thursday that identifying all individuals killed in the incident could take up to three months.
The blast injured 59 more persons, most of whom are still hospitalized.
Another explosion occurred approximately 23 years ago in San Cristobal, the birthplace of tyrant Rafael Trujillo. In October 2000, an armaments store exploded, killing at least two individuals and injuring more than two dozen more, forcing officials to evacuate others.
SOURCE – (AP)
