A tourist excursion vessel sailing off the coast of Bayahibe, a top travel hub in the Dominican Republic’s La Altagracia province, erupted in fire on Monday, leaving at least a dozen people with burn injuries, local authorities confirmed Tuesday. Early preliminary accounts from emergency teams confirm that more than 30 people — a mix of international tourists and on-board crew consisting of a captain, tour guide, and sailor — were aboard the craft when the blaze ignited unexpectedly. Rapid response teams from local emergency services reached the scene quickly after receiving distress calls, pulling every passenger and crew member from the burning vessel before the fire could spread out of control. All 12 injured people suffered burn wounds from the incident. Of those hurt, 11 have been admitted for care at regional public health centers, while one patient with more severe injuries was transferred to a private medical clinic to receive advanced specialized treatment. Injured victims were distributed across multiple care facilities in the region, including the Nuestra Señora de La Altagracia General and Specialty Hospital, the Central Romana Medical Center, and the Canela Clinic located in La Romana. As of Tuesday, authorities have not released any details on the root cause of the fire, nor have they confirmed whether full passenger evacuation was ordered before emergency teams managed to extinguish the blaze. Emergency personnel remained on site at the coastal location for the remainder of the day, supporting displaced passengers who lost personal belongings in the fire, collecting physical evidence for official investigation, and coordinating with local maritime and law enforcement agencies to advance the inquiry. Located along the Dominican Republic’s southern Caribbean coast, Bayahibe stands as one of the country’s most visited tourist destinations. It is the primary departure point for daily boat excursions to Saona Island, a world-famous tropical get-away, as well as other natural attractions located within the protected Cotubanamá National Park, which draws hundreds of thousands of international and domestic visitors every year.