Dominican officials say plastics company to blame for explosion that killed 31 people

By MARTÍN ADAMES ALCÁNTARA and DÁNICA COTO
Associated Press

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) — Dominican authorities say they are pursuing a criminal case against a plastics company based on evidence found during an investigation into an explosion this week that killed 31 people. Police and the Public Ministry issued a joint statement late Friday saying the blast occurred at a business called Vidal Plast, not at a bakery as authorities had said earlier this week. The explosion occurred Monday in a bustling commercial center in San Cristobal. The city lies just west of the capital of Santo Domingo. The ministry says it is investigating several people it did not identify. The owners of Vidal Plast could not be immediately reached for comment.