 "Roof collapse at Dominican Republic nightclub kills 98. What happened?")
The roof of an iconic nightclub in the capital of the Dominican Republic collapsed nearly an hour after a merengue concert began, killing at least 98 people and injuring at least 160. Politicians and athletes were among those attending Jet Set in Santo Domingo when disaster struck Tuesday.
Officials said it’s too early to determine why the roof fell.
Rescue crews were still searching for survivors in the rubble more than 12 hours after the roof collapsed as a crowd of people awaiting word from their loved ones waited anxiously nearby.
Who are the victims?
Relatives of merengue singer Rubby Pérez, who was performing when the roof collapsed, said earlier that he was rescued. But Juan Manuel Méndez, director of the Center of Emergency Operations, said late Tuesday afternoon that information “turned out to be false.” He said rescue crews were still looking for Pérez.
Meanwhile, the singer’s manager, Enrique Paulino, whose shirt was spattered with blood, said the group’s saxophonist died.
The Professional Baseball League of the Dominican Republic posted on X that former MLB pitcher Octavio Dotel died. Officials had earlier rescued Dotel from the debris and transported him to a hospital. Also killed was Dominican baseball player Tony Enrique Blanco Cabrera, said Satosky Terrero, league spokesman.
What is Jet Set?
It’s an iconic nightclub located in southern Santo Domingo that has operated for nearly five decades. It was known for its “Jet Set Mondays” that featured local and international artists.
The club opened in 1973 as a club and restaurant, becoming the most popular venue of its kind in the Dominican Republic, according to Listín Diario, a local newspaper.
It later moved from the place where it originally opened, celebrating its first anniversary with merengue and salsa icon Johnny Ventura.
The club underwent renovations in 2010 and 2015, and it was struck by lightning in 2023, according to the newspaper.
General admission tickets for Monday’s concert with Rubby Pérez were $32, while the VIP ones were $40, according to the club’s website.
What’s next?
Rescue crews were still looking for survivors as of late Tuesday afternoon, and government officials have not said when they would shift to a recovery phase.
While an in-depth investigation into the collapse is expected, authorities have not yet commented on what might have caused the roof to fall, including any potential preliminary findings.
Prosecutor Rosalba Ramos told TV station CDN that while “everyone wants to know” what happened, authorities were still focused on finding survivors.
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