A tragic roof collapse at a well-known nightclub in the capital of the Dominican Republic has resulted in at least 184 fatalities, according to authorities, as the search for survivors has grown increasingly somber.
The incident occurred on Tuesday, and for two days, families have gathered outside the debris of the Jet Set club in Santo Domingo, anxiously awaiting news about their missing loved ones and sharing photographs with the police. “We will not abandon anyone,” stated Juan Manuel Mendez, the head of the country’s emergency operations center, during a press briefing.
Emergency teams will persist in their efforts until the last body is recovered, but hopes of discovering additional survivors beneath the rubble are waning, as no one has been rescued alive in over 24 hours, Mr. Mendez noted.
“In the upcoming hours, there will be a shift from the search and rescue operations to the recovery of bodies,” presidential spokesperson Homero Figueroa declared in a statement.
“Sadly, I don’t have any information on their whereabouts,” he expressed. “My 15-year-old son is heartbroken, while the younger one, who is 9, remains composed because we’ve told him that their mother is at work.”
Friends and relatives of those still unaccounted for held up their photos and described the attire their loved ones were wearing during the disaster, hoping it would aid in identifying them if their bodies were disfigured.
People check the lists with names of the victims outside the nightclub
Earlier yesterday, authorities indicated that 155 individuals had been rescued from the debris and transported to hospitals. The precise number of people present in the club at the time of the incident remains uncertain.
From Celebration to Tragedy
The calamity occurred during a concert featuring popular Dominican artist Rubby Perez. What began as a celebratory event, attended by politicians, athletes, and notable personalities, turned into a catastrophe shortly after midnight when the roof unexpectedly collapsed.
Mr. Perez was among the casualties, and the Ministry of Culture has announced it will host a tribute on Thursday to commemorate his legacy as “one of the great figures in the nation’s artistic realm” and within the merengue scene.
Families of victims whose remains have been recovered have started to conduct their funerals.
President Luis Abinader attended the funeral service on Wednesday for Nelsy Cruz, the governor of the northern Monte Cristi province and sister of former MLB player Nelson Cruz, a seven-time All-Star.
“We are left to grieve for her and the other victims,” Abinader remarked during the ceremony.
Former Major League Baseball players, pitcher Octavio Dotel and slugger Tony Blanco, were also among the deceased.
The child of the public works and communications minister also perished in the tragedy.
