A catastrophic roof collapse at a popular nightclub in the capital of the Dominican Republic on Tuesday has claimed at least 124 lives, authorities confirmed on Wednesday. As the search for survivors becomes more desperate, the situation grows increasingly dire.
Throughout the night, families gathered outside the wreckage of the Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo, desperately awaiting news of their missing loved ones. They shared photos with police, clinging to hope as they sought any information about their relatives’ whereabouts.
The nightclub was famous for its lively Monday night merengue parties, which attracted international celebrities and prominent figures from the Dominican Republic.
Toll Likely To Rise
Over 150 people were rescued from the rubble on Tuesday, but since that afternoon, authorities have not been able to extract any additional survivors.
Juan Manuel Mendez, head of the country’s emergency operations center, stated that rescue teams expected to need another 24 to 36 hours to finish their search. To accelerate recovery efforts, emergency crews have deployed heavy machinery on site.
The tragedy unfolded during a concert by popular Dominican merengue singer Rubby Perez. The event, which had drawn politicians, athletes and other prominent figures, turned into a nightmare after midnight as the roof suddenly collapsed.
“I still have family members that are still in the rubble, and we don’t know what happened to them,” Pedro Martinez, a 17-season Major League Baseball player, said in a video shared on his Instagram account in the evening.
High Profile Deaths
Perez was one of the victims. His body was recovered on Wednesday morning.
Pitcher Octavio Dotel and slugger Tony Blanco, both former Major League Baseball players, were also killed.
Another victim was Nelsy Cruz, governor of the northern Monte Cristi province, President Luis Abinader said. Cruz was the sister of former MLB player Nelson Cruz, a seven-time All-Star.
The son of the public works and communications minister also died in the disaster.
(With inputs from Reuters)
