A German tourist has died in the Dominican Republic following the deaths of 13 US citizens in mysterious circumstances on the holiday island in recent months.
Ramona Kittler, 54, was holidaying in the four-star Costa Caribe hotel on the Caribbean island with her husband Guenther, 61, when she started to complain of severe stomach pain on Monday last week. She was seen by a doctor who gave her tablets against the stomach pain and an injection. But the medication reportedly failed to work and her health deteriorated quickly. She died the following day.
Her husband said: “She was so healthy. She did not drink alcohol and liked to eat fish. The cause of death remains unclear.”
He continued: “Nobody could tell me what she died of, nobody really helped me. Everyone wanted money before they would even call a doctor. The tour company helped me with the formalities and organised a flight home for me.
“The police confiscated a lot of things, medicines and other things, even the cup Ramona last drank from.
Police are now investigating her death, her body is undergoing a postmortem and then will be transported back to Germany.
Guenter said: “I hope the postmortem brings clarity. I want to know what caused my Ramona to die.”
A spokesperson for the German Embassy in Santo Domingo confirmed the case and said: “We are aware of the case and have made contact with the relatives.”
Over the past months, 13 US tourists have died in the Dominican Republic, some of these had had a drink from the mini bars shortly before their sudden deaths, reports said.
The FBI is helping police in the Dominican Republic after no cause of death could be established in these cases.
Dozens of other tourists have reported becoming unwell with symptoms of vomiting, diarrhoea and fever and there are reportedly fears the tourists could have been poisoned.
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Story By: Kathryn Quinn, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Central European News
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