Another American Tourist Reported Dead in the Dominican Republic

Another US tourist has died in the Dominican Republic, bringing to eight the number of Americans to die in the country over the past year.

Leyla Cox, 53, died June 10 in her hotel room, Excellence Resorts in Punta Cana confirmed to CNN on Sunday.

Officials in the Dominican Republic have called the deaths isolated events as they work to reassure travelers their country is safe.

“In the last five years, over 30 million tourists have visited the Dominican Republic, but this is the first time the international media report such an alarming situation," Tourism Minister Francisco Javier Garcia said earlier this month. "These are isolated incidents and the Dominican Republic is a safe destination."

Previously, the hotel told CNN that Cox had felt unwell and had to be taken to the hospital. But in a Sunday statement the resort said Cox, of Staten Island, New York, died in her hotel room.

The hotel gave the cause of death as heart attack, citing a forensics report. CNN has not independently confirmed the contents of the report.

"We are deeply saddened by the recent incidents in the Dominican Republic," the hotel's statement said. "We understand that safety is a paramount concern for all travelers and we have always taken extensive measures to make safety a priority of all of our Excellence Punta Cana guests."

Excellence Resorts says it is providing its full cooperation and support to both local and US authorities and expressed "sincere condolences to all of those affected by the recent incidents."

"We will strive to continue to provide outstanding services to our customers, with their safety and security top of mind."

Officials Say Dominican Republic Still Safe

Dominican Republic leaders maintain the country is one of the region's top tourism destinations -- with more than 6 million tourists last year -- 2.2 million of them Americans, according to the Caribbean Tourism Organization.

Government spokesman Roberto Rodriguez Marchena put out a video calling it the "largest, fastest growing, tourism destination of the Insular Caribbean."

Source: CNN