Death toll rises to 25 as Dominican firefighters find more bodies in this week’s explosion

By MARTÍN ADAMES ALCÁNTARA
Associated Press

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) — A high-ranking Civil Defense official in the Dominican Republic tells The Associated Press that the death toll from a powerful explosion this week has risen to 25. The official was not authorized to speak to the media. He said Wednesday that the number of missing remains at 10 because forensic officials are still trying to determine whether the additional bodies found correspond to those missing. The number of victims is expected to increase since responders have not been able to fully access the building where the explosion occurred Monday at a bakery in the city of San Cristobal near Santo Domingo.