At least 98 people have died and more than 150 others have been injured following a devastating roof collapse at the Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic.
The tragedy occurred in the early hours of Tuesday during a concert headlined by popular merengue singer Rubby Pérez, with hundreds reportedly inside the packed venue.
Among the dead are Nelsy Cruz, governor of Monte Cristi province, and former Major League Baseball pitcher Octavio Dotel, 51, who died en route to the hospital after being pulled from the debris. Cruz was also the sister of MLB All-Star Nelson Cruz. President Luis Abinader confirmed their deaths and offered his condolences to the families of the victims.
Dotel, a well-known figure in Dominican sports, began his MLB career with the New York Mets in 1999 and went on to play for teams including the Houston Astros, Oakland A’s, New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox, and Detroit Tigers before retiring in 2013.
Emergency teams say more than 400 rescuers are still combing through the rubble, searching for survivors. The director of the Emergency Operations Centre (COE), Juan Manuel Méndez, said there was hope that some of those trapped under the collapsed roof may still be alive. “We are doing everything possible to reach those still buried,” he told reporters.
Jet Set is one of Santo Domingo’s most iconic nightclubs, known for hosting live dance music performances on Monday nights. Many prominent figures from politics, sports, and entertainment were reportedly in attendance at the time of the collapse.
Footage taken inside the venue before the disaster shows concertgoers dancing and sitting at tables as Rubby Pérez performs on stage. In a separate video circulating on social media, a man near the stage points towards the ceiling and says, “something fell from the ceiling,” moments before a loud crashing noise is heard and the screen goes dark. A woman can be heard screaming, “Dad, what’s happened to you?”
According to one of Pérez’s band members, the building was at full capacity when the roof gave way at around 1:00 a.m. “I thought it was an earthquake,” the musician told local media. Pérez’s daughter has since confirmed that the singer was among those trapped in the debris, though his current condition remains unknown.
President Abinader has declared a period of mourning and pledged full support for rescue and recovery efforts. As emergency crews continue to work through the wreckage, fears persist that the death toll could rise even higher.
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