A devastating roof collapse at the Jet Set nightclub in the capital of the Dominican Republic claimed the lives of at least 79 people on Tuesday. Emergency crews worked through the night in a desperate effort to rescue survivors trapped beneath the rubble. Another 155 people were reported injured.
Distraught families gathered near the scene, pleading for news of missing loved ones. “I still have family members under the rubble, and we don’t know what happened to them,” said former Major League Baseball pitcher Pedro Martinez in a video posted to Instagram.
Among the deceased were high-profile figures including beloved merengue singer Rubby Perez, Monte Cristi province governor Nelsy Cruz, and former MLB players Octavio Dotel and Tony Blanco. President Luis Abinader confirmed Cruz’s death, noting she was the sister of seven-time MLB All-Star Nelson Cruz. Authorities said Dotel, 51, died on the way to the hospital after being pulled from the debris.
The concert, headlined by Perez, had drawn an audience that included athletes, politicians, and other public figures. Officials said the total number of attendees at the time of the collapse was still unknown.
Juan Manuel Mendez, head of the country’s emergency operations center, said the response capacity had been ramped up with additional heavy machinery to accelerate debris removal and aid the search effort.
“We’re thinking about our people in the Dominican Republic,” said New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza during a press conference.
Authorities are providing psychological support to families, and the cause of the collapse remains under investigation.
By Reuters
