An Italian mother of two who was visiting family in the Dominican Republic has been identified as the only person killed in a devastating resort fire that forced around 1,700 guests and staff to evacuate.

Per CNN, Francesca Valentino died from smoke inhalation after flames tore through the Viva Wyndham Dominicus Beach Hotel in Bayahibe on Friday, according to authorities. The 45-year-old, who would have celebrated her 46th birthday in July, was the sole fatality in the fast-moving blaze.

Valentino had been enjoying a trip with her husband of 10 years when the fire broke out. The couple had returned to the area to visit friends and relatives in the fishing village of Bayahibe, where her husband is originally from and where the pair first met.

A life split between Italy and the Caribbean

According to reports, Valentino moved from Caserta to Rome before eventually settling in the Dominican Republic, where she met her future husband. The couple married in 2017 and welcomed two daughters before later returning to Valentino's hometown of Caserta, located north of Naples.

A former dancer, Valentino went on to run a small bed and breakfast in the city.

Her move abroad was featured in a 2018 interview with the Italian television program Mollo tutto e cambio vita (I'm dropping everything and changing my life in English), where she spoke about leaving Italy behind for a new chapter in the Caribbean.

Francesca Valentino is survived by her husband and two children. Credit: Facebook/Francesca Valentino

“I left Italy with a two-month plane ticket, but I never went back. I’ve now been living here for four years, found love, got married, and had a daughter, who’s already two years old. I’m happy with my choice; I’d never go back,” Francesca told the program.

Valentino and her brother David had both relocated to the Dominican Republic in 2014. She left behind her life in Italy, while David stepped away from his work as a ballet instructor in Rome. Both eventually married and started families on the island.

Fire spread rapidly through resort

Authorities say the blaze spread quickly due to the materials used in parts of the resort's construction, combined with challenging weather conditions.

“Preliminary observations indicate that the fire spread rapidly due to the flammable nature of parts of the roof structures made of palm, as well as wind conditions,” the Dominican Emergency Operations Center (COE) said.

Officials said approximately 1,700 people were evacuated from the resort as firefighters battled the flames.

Several others treated for injuries

While Valentino was the only person to lose her life, several others required medical attention following the fire.

According to the Dominican Republic's pre-hospital emergency directorate, three people were transported to medical facilities in Bayahibe, while six others were treated at the scene.

Valentino is survived by her husband and the couple's two daughters. The tragedy has shocked both the local community in Caserta and those who knew her in the Dominican Republic, where she had built a life after leaving Italy more than a decade ago.

Featured image credit: Facebook/Francesca Valentino

Police have launched an investigation after five Italian divers died 160 feet underwater in the Maldives.

The adventurous tourists were exploring caves around Vaavu when the tragic accident happened on Thursday morning.

Local authorities scrambled to the scene after being alerted about the group’s disappearance at around 1.45 pm local time, and an urgent search operation was launched.

Who was killed in the underwater accident?

The holiday makers have been identified by Italian media as four divers part of a University of Genoa research team and another tourist.

Two of the victims were a university ecology professor, Monica Montefalcone, and her 20-year-old daughter Giorgia Sommacal.

Giorgia Sommacal died alongside her mum. Credit: instagram

The three other divers, two of whom were researchers, have been named as Muriel Oddenino of Turin, Gianluca Benedetti of Padua, and Federico Gualtieri of the northern town of Borgomanero.

Reports say it was the crew of the Duke of York yacht, a foreign-operated live-aboard diving vessel, that reported the group missing after they failed to surface.

Reportedly, they disappeared near Alimatha, one of the island group’s most popular diving sites.

According to the Maldives' military, one body was found in a cave about 60m underwater, and the other four divers were believed to be also there.

It added that rescue divers with special equipment had been sent to the area, as the search operation was very high-risk.

What led to the deaths of the experienced divers?

Local authorities reported that the weather on Thursday, May 15, was rough in the area, around 100km (62 miles) south of the capital Malé.

A yellow warning was issued for passenger boats and fishermen as strong winds of around 30mph stirred the sea.

The incident is believed to be the worst single diving accident in the tiny Indian Ocean nation, a popular tourist destination because of its string of coral islands.

Muriel died in the tragedy. Credit: Facebook/Muriel Oddenino

Italy‘s foreign ministry said, “Following an accident during a scuba dive, five Italians died in the Vaavu atoll, in the Maldives.”

It added that the five died “while attempting to explore caves at a depth of 50 meters”.

While the official causes of death have not been reported, the Italian media claim they could have been caused by oxygen toxicity.

Gianluca Benedetti was a diving instructor and boat captain. Credit: Albatros Top Boat

This is the primary safety concern for divers and is responsible for most sudden diving fatalities.

It occurs during short exposures to very high partial pressures of oxygen.

It usually occurs at depths greater than 66 meters on air, or shallower on enriched air nitrox, which is most commonly used by divers.

A mother of two has died while flying back from a dream vacation.

Stefanie Smith, a 41-year-old mother of two from Indiana, passed away suddenly when she was on her way home from the Dominican Republic.

Her sudden illness came as a surprise, as she appeared healthy during her time on vacation, which spanned five nights, per the Daily Mail.

According to her friend and travel companion, Maria Yannotti, Smith seemed to be enjoying herself during their stay at the Iberostar Grand Bavaro in Punta Cana.

"The level of drinking never went beyond what I would call a nice little buzz," Yannotti said. "We pretty much had the same drinks. We enjoyed the strawberry mojitos made with Malibu rum."

The vacation included visits to the resort's restaurants, relaxing at the beach, and getting some sun by the pool.

On their last night, Smith, Yannotti, and their partners dined at El Galeon, a high-end surf and turf restaurant. They had a ribeye steak paired with a bottle of Moscato.

Yannotti emphasized the resort's cleanliness and security, stating: "It's five-star, very secure. I always felt very safe. The food was great. Everything was very clean, very upkept."

Smith reportedly visited the resort gym regularly and enjoyed runs along the beaches to maintain her fitness levels while abroad.

However, tragedy struck during the flight home. Yannotti recalled receiving a text from Smith just before departure, promising to share a funny story upon landing, as the two were taking separate flights going to different locations.

Shortly afterward, Smith's flight diverted to the Turks and Caicos after she began convulsing.

"We were sitting in Miami on our layover. The boyfriend called and said that he had something to tell us. He said Stefanie had died. She’s gone and he wasn’t sure what happened," Yannotti said.

"He said he looked at her and her head was tilted back into her seat. Her eyes were rolled into the back of her head and he thought she was making fun of him at first,” she continued. "Then she started convulsing and that’s when he called for help and they performed CPR and the pilot decided to make the call to land."

Despite efforts to save her, she was pronounced dead upon arrival at a local medical center.

Smith's brother, Chris Volz, described her as having "absolutely everything going for her," with no known pre-existing health conditions.

The family is awaiting an autopsy report to confirm how Smith passed away.

Yannotti continued: "We all say life is short, live every day like it's your last, that sort of thing. But you don't truly appreciate what that means until something happens to someone you love."

A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to support Smith's children, with $89,565 raised out of a $100,000 target at the time of writing.

An update on the fundraiser reads: "The kindness and compassion shown during this extremely difficult time has been truly remarkable. Our hearts are filled with gratitude from the outpouring of support and generosity. Every single donation made will have a positive impact on the lives of Stefanie's children. We can't thank you enough for your presence and unwavering support."

Our thoughts are with Smith's loved ones during this difficult time.

Featured image credit: GoFundMe

The family of a 26-year-old Brazilian tourist who died after falling from a cliff while hiking an active volcano in Indonesia, has spoken out publicly, placing blame on local rescue teams and calling for justice, Folha reports.

Juliana Marins was reported missing after she fell from a high-altitude trail near the crater of Mount Rinjani, a 12,000-foot volcano on the island of Lombok, during a sunrise trek on Saturday, June 21.

Her fall occurred at around 6:30AM local time while she was making her way toward the summit.

It took rescue teams four days to recover her body, a delay her family says was inexcusable.

"Juliana suffered great negligence on the part of the rescue team," her relatives wrote in an emotional statement shared on social media and broadcast by TV Globo in Brazil. “If the team had reached her within the estimated time of seven hours, Juliana would still be alive.”

“Juliana deserved much more,” they added. “Now we are going to seek justice for her, because that is what she deserves! Don’t give up on Juliana!”

The Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed her death in a translated statement, noting that “after four days of work, made difficult by adverse weather, ground and visibility conditions,” Indonesian rescue teams located her body on Tuesday, June 24, PEOPLE reports.

“[We] extend our condolences to the family and friends of the Brazilian tourist for the immense loss caused by this tragic accident,” the ministry said.

An Instagram account created to track updates on Juliana's recovery confirmed the heartbreaking news: “With immense sadness, we inform you that she did not survive. We remain very grateful for all the prayers, messages of affection and support that we have received.”

According to a post by Gunung Rinjani National Park, her body was retrieved from the treacherous mountain terrain on Wednesday, June 25, and transported to Bhayangkara Hospital.

Officials acknowledged that the operation involved “cross-agency collaboration and volunteers, working in extreme terrain with unpredictable weather.”

Juliana’s father, Manoel Marins, later identified her body at the hospital, but said the family felt abandoned by their own country’s officials.

“The Brazilian government, which we’ve tried to contact, is also not helping us,” he told TV Globo, as reported by The Daily Beast and Newsweek. “This is very sad and extremely serious. She is a 26-year-old girl, a Brazilian citizen, and no one, except family and friends, seems to care.”

Juliana’s sister, Marianna, also voiced frustration, alleging that the Indonesian rescue team shared misleading information and even edited footage of the search.

She claimed the family was falsely told Juliana was receiving food and water. “The Indonesian government is lying, and the embassy is not verifying the facts before informing us,” she said.

The family continues to demand answers, saying the delay and lack of transparency cost Juliana her life.

Featured image credit: Ulet Ifansasti / Getty Images.

Tragic new details have emerged about the final moments of a young woman who died after falling from a Carnival cruise ship off the California coast earlier this week.

The 24-year-old, who has been identified as Briana Miller, reportedly fell to her death from the balcony of her stateroom on board the Carnival Firenze on Monday morning (April 27).

According to a source close to the case who spoke to The California Post, Miller had been arguing with her family in the moments before she fell.

The FBI is said to be still investigating the incident.

What happened about the Carnival Firenze?

The Carnival Firenze had set sail from Long Beach on Sunday and was bound for Mexico when the incident occurred.

The ship can carry up to 4,126 guests and 1,425 crew members, and is around 1,061 feet long.

The source told The California Post that Miller jumped from her stateroom balcony before hitting the deck below.

A private investigator named Kelly Duhs, who happened to be on board the ship at the time, told the outlet that members of the ship's staff said the victim had been fighting with her family before her death.

"It's horrible," she said.

According to a law enforcement officer, Miller's body was transported off the ship on Monday and her family left the same day.

Credit: Carnival Cruise Line

The Carnival Cruise statement

Carnival Cruise Line has confirmed the death and says it's supporting the family.

Spokesperson Julie Leonardi told reporters that the victim had been travelling with her family, and that they were the ones who alerted the ship's crew to what had happened.

"As is customary following these kinds of incidents, law enforcement was on board while the ship was in Catalina Island on Monday to collect information," Leonardi said.

She added that the cruise line's 'Care Team' was with the family in the aftermath.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with them and their loved ones," she said.

The FBI's response

The FBI confirmed it had boarded the Carnival Firenze when it docked in Catalina Island on Monday.

"The FBI responded to the ship when it docked in Catalina Island on Monday and is investigating an incident on board which resulted in death," FBI spokesperson Lourdes Arocho told The California Post.

"More specific details are not being provided at this time as the investigation is ongoing."

Miller's death is the second cruise-related death involving Carnival to make headlines in recent months.

Last November, 18-year-old Anna Kepner was found dead beneath a bed in her cabin on the Carnival Horizon.

Her death was later ruled as mechanical asphyxia, and her 16-year-old stepbrother was charged with homicide in connection with her death in February 2026.

If you or someone you know is struggling, support is available 24/7. In the US, you can call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. In the UK, you can call Samaritans on 116 123.