At least 66 killed following collapse of roof at Dominican Republic nightclub
More than 66 people have been killed and 160 injured following the collapse of the roof at the Jet Set nightclub in Santa Domingo, Dominican Republic.
The event unfolded during the early hours of April 8th during a performance by merengue singer Rubby Pérez, who was among those killed during the tragedy, alongside a governor, former MLB pitcher Octavio Dotel and a member of Congress, per The New York Times.
Following the collapse, local authorities launched an extensive rescue mission, transporting over 100 people to medical facilities for treatment. Emergency services are still working to locate the remaining missing persons to aid their recovery.
In a statement posted on social media, Santo Domingo’s mayor, Carolina Mejía de Garrigó, wrote: “Our city wakes up to a terrible tragedy that occurred at the Jet Set nightclub. My deepest sympathy goes out to the families still waiting for news of their loved ones.”
Juan Manuel Méndez, director of the Center of Emergency Operations, said that they have hope and “presume that many of them are still alive, and that is why the authorities here will not give up until not a single person remains under that rubble.”
President Luis Abinader also clarified that the rescue mission remains in place with authorities “working tirelessly” to find and help those who have been injured, adding: “We deeply regret the tragedy that occurred at the Jet Set nightclub. We have been following the incident minute by minute since it occurred.”
Authorities also said that it was unclear the exact number of people who were inside the nightclub at the time of the collapse made the mission a significant challenge. Due to the ongoing efforts, an investigation into the cause of the tragedy has yet to begin.
The venue has been operating for around 50 years and is a popular nightlife destination and one of the most famous in the Dominican Republic. Its Monday events are its flagship and have become a staple of live music in the area.
However, following the tragedy, Carlos Mendoza Díaz, president of the Dominican Association of Engineers, Architects and Surveyors, said that the building was recently damaged. “We have gathered information that it was not only a structure over 50 years old, built for a movie theater and later converted into a nightclub, and obviously these are different safety parameters,” he said.
He added: “We also know that a fire occurred a few years ago, and perhaps the combination of these events could have caused the collapse.”
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