The roof of a nightclub in the capital of the Dominican Republic, Santo Domingo, collapsed in the early hours of Tuesday, during a concert attended by politicians, athletes, and numerous others. According to authorities, at least 98 people have died, and 160 have been injured.
Rescue teams searched the ruins of the “Jet Set” club in search of survivors, said Juan Manuel Mendez, director of the Center for Emergency Operations.
“We continue to remove debris and search for people,” Mendez said on Tuesday evening. “We will not stop until we find everyone.”
Nearly 12 hours after the roof collapsed on the visitors, rescuers were still pulling survivors from under the debris, silencing the gathered crowd so they could hear faint cries for help. Firefighters removed pieces of concrete, using wooden beams as levers to lift heavier material, while the sound of drills piercing the concrete echoed through the air.
Mendez stated that rescuers prioritized three key points in the club: “We can still hear some sounds.”
Among the victims was Nelsi Cruz, the governor of the northwestern province of Monte Cristi and the sister of seven-time MLB All-Star player Nelson Cruz. It was reported that she called President Luis Abinader at 00:49, saying she was trapped and the roof had collapsed. The First Lady, Raquel Arbaje, stated that Cruz later died in the hospital. “This is truly too great a tragedy,” she said through tears.
O teto da Discoteca Jet Set, em Santo Domingo, República Dominicana, desabou na madrugada desta terça-feira (8). Até então são 79 mortos.
— Comunicarmais (@ComunicarmaisBA) April 9, 2025
Entre os mortos, estão o cantor de merengue, Rubby Perez, de 69 anos e o ex-arremessador de beisebol da liga MLB dos EUA, Octavio Dotel. pic.twitter.com/hNVcKG5f8P
The Dominican Republic Professional Baseball League announced that former MLB pitcher Octavio Dotel (51) was among the deceased. Rescuers had earlier pulled him from the rubble and transported him to a hospital. Dominican baseball player Tony Enrique Blanco Cabrera also died, confirmed the league’s spokesperson, Satosky Terrero.
Late Tuesday evening, those gathered who were still looking for their loved ones sang hymns in front of the club, accompanied by one man’s guitar. Among the injured is Congressman Braulio Vargas, AP reports.
The family of merengue singer Rubby Perez, who was performing at the time of the collapse, initially claimed that he had been rescued, but Mendez later denied this information. Rescuers were still searching for him.
Perez’s manager, Enrique Paulino, whose shirt was stained with blood, told reporters that the concert began shortly before midnight, and the roof collapsed less than an hour later, also killing the band’s saxophonist. “It happened very quickly. I managed to throw myself into a corner,” he said, adding that he initially thought it was an earthquake.
The cause of the roof collapse is still unknown, as is when the club building was last inspected.
🔴 Momento exacto en donde se desploma el techo de la discoteca Jet Set en Santo Domingo. pic.twitter.com/vD5EnLubiC
— Mariem Rodríguez (@Mariem81705167) April 9, 2025
The club issued a statement saying that they are cooperating with the authorities, and that the owner, Antonio Espaillat, was out of the country and returned late Tuesday evening.
“Words cannot describe the pain this has caused. This tragedy has deeply affected us all,” he said.
A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Public Works directed reporters to the mayor’s office, but they did not respond to a request for comment. Prosecutor Rosalba Ramos told CDN television that, although everyone wants to know exactly what happened, the priority is still rescuing survivors. A makeshift morgue was set up near the club, while more than 120 people waited in lines to donate blood at two different hospitals.
Manuel Olivo Ortiz, whose son attended the concert and has not yet returned home, waited anxiously in front of the club known for its traditional Monday parties, featuring famous local and international stars.
“We are holding on to God alone,” said Olivo.
Darlenis Batista (22) was also in the club, and her godmother, Masiel Cuevas, steadfastly believed she would find her alive: “I’m waiting for her. She’s in there, I know she is.”
El presidente de #RepúblicaDominicana, @luisabinader, declaró tres días de duelo nacional tras el desplome del techo de una discoteca en #SantoDomingo donde fallecieron al menos 44 personas.
— David de la Paz 戴维 (@daviddelapaz) April 8, 2025
Según medios locales, se registran al menos 134 heridos que han sido llevadas a centros… pic.twitter.com/IpjLl6aEba
President Luis Abinader announced on X that all rescue services are engaged and working tirelessly to help those affected.
“We deeply regret the tragedy that occurred at the Jet Set club. From the first moment, we have been monitoring the situation minute by minute,” the president wrote. Abinader arrived at the scene, hugging people who were looking for their loved ones, while tears streamed down their faces. “We have faith in God that we will save more lives,” he told reporters.
An official with a megaphone tried to calm the gathered crowd, asking them to leave space for ambulances: “You must cooperate with the authorities, please,” he said. “We are pulling people out.”
In front of one of the hospitals where the injured were taken, an official loudly read the names of the survivors, while people gathered around him called out the names of their loved ones.
Meanwhile, dozens of people gathered in front of the National Institute of Forensic Pathology, which released photos of the victims so that their relatives could identify them.
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Source: Nova.rs, Foto: Printscreen X @theinformant_x