124 dead in Dominican Republic nightclub roof collapse

SANTO DOMINGO - Rescuers raced to find survivors on April 9 after the roof of a Dominican Republic nightclub collapsed during a concert by popular singer Rubby Perez, who was one of 124 people killed in the disaster.

Rescue workers were pressing on with the search effort, with the focus on recovering bodies from the rubble more than 24 hours after the roof caved in.

Renowned Dominican merengue singer Perez, who was performing at the Jet Set nightclub for hundreds of people before the roof collapsed shortly after midnight on April 8, had been killed, according to his manager.

Relatives of club-goers gathered around the disaster site in the capital Santo Domingo as rescuers ferried the injured to hospital and used a crane to remove debris.

“We have some friends, a niece, a cousin ... who are in the rubble,” Mr Rodolfo Espinal told AFP, as he waited for information on his loved ones.

About 370 rescue personnel combed mounds of fallen bricks, steel bars and tin sheets for survivors. Also among the dead were former US Major League Baseball players Octavio Dotel and Tony Blanco.

Mr Dotel, who was 51 years old, was rescued alive but later died of his injuries, local media reported.

A black-and-white photo of the player and images of the Dominican flag were projected onto the scoreboard at Citi Field in New York before April 8’s game between the New York Mets and the Miami Marlins.

“Peace to his soul,” the Dominican Republic Professional Baseball League wrote in separate social media posts paying tribute to the two former players.

Local media said there were between 500 and 1,000 people in the club when disaster struck shortly at 12.44 am local time. The club has a capacity of about 1,700 people.

Perez was on stage when there was a blackout and the roof came crashing down, according to eyewitness reports.

His daughter Zulinka told reporters she had managed to escape after the roof collapsed, but he did not.

Also among the dead was the governor of the Monte Cristi municipality, Ms Nelsy Cruz, according to President Luis Abinader. He declared three days of national mourning.

By early April 9, the preliminary death toll had reached 98, said Mr Juan Manuel Mendez, director of the Emergency Operations Centre.

“No people have been found alive since 3pm (April 8),” Mr Mendez said.

“As long as there is hope for life, all the authorities will be working to recover or rescue these people,” he said earlier.

While updating the death toll to the higher figure later in the day, Mr Mendez said rescue workers had “24 to 36 hours left” to try to find survivors under the rubble.

‘We are desparate’

Ms Iris Pena, a woman who had attended the show, told SIN television how she escaped with her son.

“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,” Ms Pena recounted. “The impact was so strong as if it had been a tsunami or an earthquake.”

Dozens of family members flocked to hospitals for news.

“We are desperate,” Ms Regina del Rosa, whose sister was at the concert, told SIN. “They are not giving us news, they are not telling us anything.”

Helicopter images revealed a large hole where the club’s roof once was.

A crane was helping to lift some of the heavier rubble at the site as men in hard hats dug through the debris.

The authorities have issued a call for Dominicans to donate blood.

‘Devastated’

Artistes paid tribute to Perez on social media, with former colleague Wilfrido Vargas saying he was “devastated”.

“The friend and idol of our genre has left us,” the trumpeter and vocalist wrote.

“Maestro, what a great pain he leaves us,” wrote Puerto Rican singer Olga Tanon.

The Instagram page of the Jet Set club said it has been in operation for more than 50 years, with shows every Monday until the early hours.

Its last post before April 7’s event invited fans to come and “enjoy his (Mr Perez’s) greatest hits and dance in the country’s best nightclub”.

On April 8, the club issued a statement saying it was working “fully and transparently” with the authorities.

The Jet Set collapse was one of the biggest tragedies the Caribbean nation and top tourist destination has faced in recent years.

In 2023, about 40 people were killed and dozens injured in an explosion linked to a plastics company in San Cristobal, near Santo Domingo.

In 2005, more than 130 prisoners in the east of the country died in a fire caused by a fight between inmates.

Tourism generates about 15 per cent of GDP in the country, with millions of annual visitors attracted by its music, nightlife, Caribbean beaches and the colonial architecture of the capital. AFP