At least 12 dead after huge blast hits market in Dominican Republic

At least 12 people died in a powerful explosion in the city centre of San Cristóbal in the Dominican Republic.
More than 40 people were injured, the mayor of the suburb of the capital Santo Domingo, José Montás, wrote on Facebook on Tuesday.
The explosion had rocked a busy market area in San Cristóbal on Monday afternoon and sparked a large fire.
Five shops and 10 vehicles were destroyed, Montás wrote.
Among the dead was a 4-month-old child, according to a statement by the government of the Caribbean state.
The fire had not been completely extinguished as of Tuesday morning, according to the mayor.
Local media reported that the blast is believed to have originated in a hardware shop but the cause was unclear.