Rescue teams continue working into the night at the site of the collapsed Jet Set nightclub, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic April 8, 2025. — Reuters
- Disaster kills nearly 100 including ex-MLB pitcher Dotel.
- More than 155 injured as families still looking for loved ones.
- Officials investigate cause of collapse during concert.
SANTO DOMINGO: In the early hours of Wednesday, rescue teams were urgently searching for survivors after the roof of a nightclub in the Dominican Republic collapsed during a concert. The disaster has claimed nearly 100 lives. The incident occurred while popular singer Rubby Perez was performing.
The search effort has continued for more than 24 hours. However, it has now transitioned to primarily recovering bodies, as the likelihood of finding more survivors diminishes.
According to his manager, renowned Dominican merengue singer Perez was on stage at the Jet Set nightclub when the roof collapsed shortly after midnight on Tuesday. He was among those killed in the tragedy.
“We are waiting for the children to reach an agreement for the funeral,” Perez’s manager, Enrique Paulino, told AFP.
Approximately 370 rescue personnel are meticulously combing through the debris, which includes fallen bricks, steel bars, and tin sheets, in search of any remaining survivors.
Among the deceased was 51-year-old retired Major League Baseball pitcher Octavio Dotel, who had previously won a World Series in 2011 with the St. Louis Cardinals.
Local media reported that Dotel was rescued alive but succumbed to his injuries while en route to the hospital.
In New York, a black-and-white photo of Dotel, along with images of the Dominican flag, were displayed on the scoreboard at Citi Field before Tuesday’s game between the New York Mets and the Miami Marlins.
The Dominican Republic Professional Baseball League expressed their condolences on social media, saying, “Peace to his soul.”
According to local media reports, the nightclub had between 500 and 1,000 people inside when the collapse occurred around 12:44 a.m. (0444GMT) on Tuesday. The club has a seating capacity of 700 and can accommodate about 1,000 people standing.
Dozens of ambulances were dispatched to transport the injured to hospitals. Many people gathered outside the venue, desperately seeking information about their loved ones.
Eyewitnesses reported that Perez was performing on stage when a blackout occurred, followed by the roof collapsing.
Perez’s daughter, Zulinka, told reporters that she managed to escape after the roof collapsed, but her father did not.
The governor of the Monte Cristi municipality, Nelsy Cruz, was also among the deceased, according to President Luis Abinader.
President Abinader visited the site and declared three days of national mourning.
The death toll, which initially stood at 15, steadily increased throughout Tuesday. By early Wednesday, Juan Manuel Mendez, director of the Emergency Operations Center, reported that the preliminary death toll had reached 98.
Mendez stated, “As long as there is hope for life, all authorities will be working to recover or rescue these people.”
Iris Pena, who attended the show, recounted her escape with her son to SIN television.
“At one point, dirt started falling like dust into the drink on the table,” she said.
“A stone fell and cracked the table where we were, and we got out,” Pena recounted. “The impact was so strong, as if it had been a tsunami or an earthquake.”
Dozens of family members rushed to hospitals in search of news about their loved ones.
“We are desperate,” said Regina del Rosa, whose sister was at the concert, to SIN. “They are not giving us news, they are not telling us anything.”
Helicopter images showed a large hole where the club’s roof once stood. A crane was being used to lift heavier pieces of rubble, while men in hard hats searched through the debris.
Authorities have called on Dominicans to donate blood.
The Jet Set club’s Instagram page indicates that it has been in operation for over 50 years, hosting shows every Monday until the early hours.
The club’s last post before Monday’s event invited fans to come and “enjoy his (Perez’s) greatest hits and dance in the country’s best nightclub.”
On Tuesday, the club released a statement saying it was working “fully and transparently” with authorities.
The Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti, welcomed over 11 million visitors in 2024, according to the tourism ministry.
Tourism accounts for approximately 15% of the country’s GDP, attracting visitors with its music, nightlife, Caribbean beaches, and the colonial architecture of its capital, Santo Domingo.
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