The brochures promise a slice of heaven: turquoise sea, palm-fringed beaches and all-inclusive cocktails. But for one British family, the reality of a luxury holiday in the Dominican Republic has turned into a nightmare. A British tourist has died in a fire at a high-end resort.
The blaze tore through the complex in the early hours, leaving guests fleeing in their pyjamas. Among the panic and smoke, one life was lost. Safety investigations have been launched.
But as the news filters back to a quiet street in the UK, we are confronted again with the fragility of our carefully packaged escapes. The victim’s family have been informed. The Foreign Office is providing consular assistance.
The resort, which advertises itself as a five-star sanctuary, is now a crime scene. Local authorities are probing the cause of the fire. Was it an electrical fault?
A kitchen accident? Or something more sinister? The questions hang in the air, as heavy as the smoke that morning.
For the other guests, the holiday is over. They will return home with memories of sirens, not sunsets. This tragedy is a stark reminder that the global tourism industry, for all its gloss and luxury, is only as strong as its safety standards.
And that paradise can be lost in a single, terrible moment.
