A tragic concert turned into a national catastrophe early Wednesday after the roof of the famed Jet Set nightclub in the Dominican Republic collapsed.
The roof collapsed during a live performance by beloved merengue singer Rubby Perez, claiming the lives of nearly 100 people.
Rescue teams, consisting of over 370 personnel, continued their operations for more than a day following the disaster.
As daylight faded into the night on Tuesday, the effort shifted from locating survivors to recovering bodies from beneath the mangled steel, shattered bricks, and twisted sheets of tin.
Perez, a musical icon in the Caribbean nation, was performing when a sudden blackout struck the venue just after midnight.
Moments later, the roof gave way. While his daughter Zulinka survived, Perez was among those killed, his manager Enrique Paulino confirmed.
The venue, known for its decades-long legacy in Dominican nightlife, was filled far beyond its seated capacity of 700.
Some reports estimate up to 1,000 people were inside when the collapse occurred at around 12:44 a.m. local time.
Among the dead was Nelsy Cruz, governor of the Monte Cristi province, and retired MLB star Octavio Dotel.
He had initially been pulled from the rubble alive but succumbed to his injuries en route to the hospital.
Dotel’s image was honoured before Tuesday’s baseball game at Citi Field in New York.
President Luis Abinader visited the scene and declared three days of national mourning.
He further urged calm as families gathered outside hospitals and the concert venue in search of missing loved ones.
Helicopter footage revealed the massive hole in the club’s structure, while cranes and rescue crews worked relentlessly through the night.
Authorities have appealed to the public for urgent blood donations.
Jet Set, which has been a staple of Santo Domingo’s nightlife for over 50 years, had promoted Perez’s performance as a night to “dance to his greatest hits.”
The club has pledged full cooperation with investigators as the country grapples with the magnitude of the disaster.
