TORONTO — At least one report coming out of the U.S. suggests that the eight American tourist deaths in the D.R. were due to natural causes, confirming earlier statements from the D.R.’s Tourism Minister.

FOX News 43, based in central Pennsylvania, says it received a statement from the U.S. State Department’s Office of Consular Affairs saying that “the results of the additional, extensive toxicology testing completed to date have been consistent with the findings of local authorities. Our condolences and sympathy go out to the families during this difficult time.”

However it’s not clear from the FOX News 43 report, picked up by multiple media sources, if the statement is referencing the FBI’s investigation and toxicology reports.

A D.R. news conference to disclose the FBI’s findings, originally scheduled for last month, was delayed and hasn’t been rescheduled.

Initial autopsies showed the tourists died of natural causes, Tourism Minister Francisco Javier Garcia told reporters back in June 2019.

Travel to the D.R. from the U.S. has been hard hit, but less so from Canada.