Dominican Republic Death Toll Rises to 21 in Historic Rainfall Event

President Abinader suspends classes and declares it the 'largest rainfall event ever' as torrential rains continue to batter the nation.

At least 21 people have died in the Dominican Republic due to heavy rain and flooding, with thousands displaced and significant infrastructure damage.
Nine deaths occurred when a highway tunnel wall collapsed due to the torrential rain in the capital, Santo Domingo.
More than 13,000 people were evacuated to secure areas, over 2,500 people were rescued, and more than 2,600 homes were affected by the storm.
President Luis Abinader has called it the 'largest rainfall event ever' in the country's history, and has suspended classes until Wednesday to evaluate potential school damage.
The rainfall, resulting from a tropical depression, is expected to continue, with the majority of the nation's 32 provinces remaining under red and yellow weather alerts.