TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Rescue teams rushed to search for survivors in the early hours of Wednesday, April 9, 2025, after the roof of a nightclub in the Dominican Republic collapsed. As reported by Arab News, the incident occurred during a concert by the popular singer Rubby Perez, one of the nearly 100 people killed in the tragedy.
Rescuers continue their search efforts, now focused on finding bodies in the rubble, more than 24 hours after the roof collapsed.
The famous Dominican merengue singer Perez was performing at the Jet Set nightclub for hundreds of people when the roof collapsed shortly after midnight Tuesday. He was one of the fatalities, according to his manager.
The families of the club-goers gathered at the disaster site in the capital Santo Domingo as rescue teams transported the injured to hospitals and used cranes to clear the debris.
"We have some friends here, a niece, a cousin, some friends, who are in the rubble," said Rodolfo Espinal, waiting for information about his loved ones.
Approximately 370 rescue personnel combed through the piles of bricks, steel bars, and sheets of tin that had collapsed to search for survivors.
As reported by Al Jazeera, at least 160 were injured, and about 400 emergency crews were still trying to find survivors among the debris while the families of the victims gathered at the site in search of their loved ones, authorities said on Tuesday.
According to the government, nearly 150 people have been taken to local hospitals for treatment. The cause of the roof collapse is still under investigation.
Among the deceased are former Major League Baseball players Octavio Dotel and Tony Blanco.
Dotel, 51, was rescued alive but later succumbed to his injuries, as reported by local media.
A black-and-white photo of Dotel and the Dominican flag was projected onto the scoreboard at Citi Field in New York before Tuesday's game between the New York Mets and the Miami Marlins.
Local media said there were about 500 to 1,000 people in the club when the incident struck around 12:44 early Tuesday. The club had a capacity for about 1,700 people.
According to eyewitness accounts, Perez was on stage when the power outage occurred and the roof collapsed.
Perez's daughter, Zulinka, told reporters that she managed to escape after the roof collapsed, but he did not.
Among the casualties is the governor of the Monte Cristi municipality, Nelsy Cruz, according to President Luis Abinader.
He declared three days of national mourning.
As of early Wednesday, the death toll had reached 98, said Juan Manuel Mendez, director of the Emergency Operations Center.
"No people have been found alive since 3:00 p.m. (Tuesday)," Mendez said in his latest update.
"As long as there is hope for life, all authorities will be working to recover or rescue these people," he said earlier.
Dozens of family members flocked to the hospital for news.
Helicopter images showed a large hole where the club's roof used to be. A crane helped lift the heavier debris while hard-hatted workers dug through the rubble.
Authorities have issued a call for Dominican citizens to donate blood.
The Instagram page of the Jet Set club stated that the club had been in operation for over 50 years, with shows every Monday through early morning. Their last post before Monday's event invited fans to come and "enjoy his (Perez’s) greatest hits and dance in the country’s best nightclub.”
On Tuesday, the club issued a statement saying that they were working "fully and transparently" with authorities.
The collapse of Jet Set is one of the largest tragedies the Caribbean nation and major tourist destination has faced in recent years.
In 2023, about 40 people died and dozens were injured in an explosion linked to a plastic company in San Cristobal, near Santo Domingo.
And in 2005, over 130 inmates in the eastern part of the Dominican Republic perished in a fire caused by a prison fight.
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