On Wednesday night, a sudden accident disrupted a major milestone celebration of Dominican music at the Félix Sánchez Olympic Stadium in Santo Domingo. An unexpected explosion of a confetti machine in the media section injured at least three reporters and photographers who were covering the highly anticipated “50 Years of Ramón Orlando and Friends” concert.
Details released in the immediate aftermath indicate that one injured individual, whose identity remains undisclosed and who was wearing a shirt affiliated with the Reconocidos website, was rushed via ambulance to the UCE Medical Center to receive urgent medical care. A second injured person, Víctor Ramírez, a photographer working for prominent local newspaper Listín Diario, was also hurt in the blast but was able to exit the venue independently without requiring emergency transport. While authorities have confirmed a third media professional was affected by the incident, no further updates have been shared regarding their current condition. The unexpected incident created a wave of anxiety and tension among the entire pool of journalists and photographers on-site covering the landmark celebration.
The sold-out concert, which kicked off at approximately 8:00 p.m., was designed to honor five decades of legendary Dominican musician Ramón Orlando’s artistic career, and featured a lineup of many of the most prominent names in Dominican music, including Juan Luis Guerra, Sergio Vargas, Fernando Villalona, and Eddy Herrera. Billed as a landmark tribute to both Orlando’s decades-long contribution and the broader cultural legacy of Dominican merengue, the event drew a full capacity crowd of enthusiastic fans. Prior to the concert’s start, organizers had publicly stated that a full team of emergency and security personnel would be deployed throughout the venue to address any potential incidents. To date, neither law enforcement authorities nor event organizers have released additional details regarding the root cause of the explosion, nor have they issued a comprehensive final report updating the public on the total number of people injured and their current medical conditions.