11 dead, 40 injured after truck crashes into bar in Dominican Republic

A truck ploughed into a bar in the Dominican Republic early on Sunday (local time), killing at least 11 people and injuring more than 40, authorities said.

The crash happened in the southern community of Azua, located west of the capital, Santo Domingo, Juan Salas, the director of civil defence, told The Associated Press.

One of the victims was a police sergeant, said police spokesman Diego Pesqueira.

It wasn’t immediately clear what caused the crash, although authorities were reviewing cameras in the area, Salas said.

Pesqueira said the driver of the truck fled the scene and was not found. He said police detained a passenger in the truck, which was transporting avocados.

Most of the injured were taken to a nearby hospital, with four of them in critical condition, said Shaira Castillo, spokeswoman for the National Health Service. The injured were women between the ages of 17 and 45 and men from 18 to 55.