Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic (AP) – The number of victims who died after A roof collapsed in an emblematic nightclub Wednesday in 184, in 184 on Wednesday, when dozens of people dwelled before the Forensic Institute of the Dominican Republic for the news of their relatives who lack even more than a day after the disaster.
Juan Manuel Méndez, director of the Emergency Operations Center, said the crews on the scene still sought potential victims and survivors, although no one has been found alive since Tuesday afternoon.
“We are not going to give up anyone. Our work will continue, “he said.
Several houses in the rubble, people looking for friends and family have put on facial masks and have started to complain about a bad smell as they begged those responsible to give them information on their loved ones.
Earlier in the day, officials of the National Institute of Medico-Legal Pathology read the names of 54 victims they had identified so far.
“We cannot wait until night!” said a woman who was waiting for the news of a parent whose name she has not heard. “We are going to go crazy!”
The authorities called for calm, saying that they had already delivered at least 28 bodies to their families but did not yet have a count of all the bodies recovered. On Wednesday evening, officials increased the number of deaths to at least 184, with more than 200 injured.
“The authorities sell us false dreams!” Shouted José Sánchez, whose brother and brother-in-law were still missing.
The rescuers are looking for survivors in the jet set nightclub after his roof collapsed during a merengue concert in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Tuesday April 8, 2025. (AP photo / Eddy Vittini)
Collapse
The legendary Jet Set Club in Santo Domingo was filled with musicians, professional athletes and civil servants when the dust started to fall from the ceiling and in the drinks of people early on Tuesday.
A few minutes later, The whole roof collapsed. Concrete slabs have killed a few dozen instantly and trapped on a dance floor where hundreds danted at an animated merengue concert. In the minutes that followed, the country’s 911 system received more than 100 calls, many people buried under rubble.
The victims include the Merengue icon, Rubby Pérez, who had sang at the crowd before the disaster strikes. His body was found early Wednesday, said emergency operations director Juan Manuel Méndez.
The government announced on Wednesday evening that it had passed to a recovery phase focused on the search for organizations after 145 people were saved from the wreck in the nightclub. Puerto Rico and Israel rescue crews arrived early Wednesday on Wednesday to help research.
The mayor of Santo Domingo, Carolina Mejía, praised what she said to be acts of love, including a Dominican who distributed coffee to those on the scene and a man on vacation from Costa Rica who joined research because he is part of a rescue team at home.
A woman touches a photo of one of the missing during the search for survivors at the Jet Set nightclub after her roof collapsed two nights before during a merengue concert in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Wednesday April 9, 2025.
The victims
Until now, only a few dozen people have been identified in one of the worst disasters to strike the Dominican Republic. Those who have died include a cardiologist, a government architect, a retired police officer, a retired United Nations official, the son and daughter-in-law of the Minister of Public Works and the brother of the Minister of the Ministry of Youth.
The former MLB launcher Octavio Dotel And the Dominican player Tony Enrique Blanco Cabrera, Satosky Terrero, spokesperson for the country’s professional baseball league, told the Associated Press.
Nelsy Cruz, governor of the northwest province of Montecristi and sister of the seven times more base in the major baseball league Nelson CruzAlerted President Luis abining about the disaster. She called him under the rubble but died later in a hospital.
The other victims include the saxophonist Luis Solís, who played on stage when the roof fell; The fashion designer based in New York, Martín Pnoanco; Several Venezuelans barmans; And an army captain who left four young girls. Grupo Popular, a financial service company, said that three of its employees are also deceased, including the president of AFP Popular Bank and his wife. A man said in tears to journalists he had lost five parents, including his wife and son.
Dozens of victims have remained unidentified.
“I have gone to many hospitals and I haven’t found it,” said Deysi Suriel about her friend, Milca Curiel, 61, a North Carolina resident who was on vacation in the Dominican Republic.
The Minister of Health, Dr. Víctor Elías Atallah Lajam, announced the creation of a commission to provide psychological aid to the families of the victims.
More than 20 of the injured remained hospitalized on Wednesday, including at least eight in critical condition.
“One point in their favor is that they are young,” said Dr. Julio Landrón, director general of the trauma hospital of Dr. Ney Arias Lora, who has 21 of the Jet Setting, including five in critical condition.
Landrón, however, warned that none of them is clear, noting that some have undergone fractures in the skull, the femur and the basin.
“They spent hours, more than six, seven, eight hours under rubble with multiple fractures, multiple injuries, with bleeding linked to crushing,” he said.
The rescuers are looking for survivors in the jet set nightclub after his roof collapsed two nights before during a merengue concert in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Wednesday April 9, 2025. (AP Photo / Ricardo Hernandez)
Research
Dozens of frantic parents listened to the managers read aloud a list of victims identified at the Legalist Institute, while others went from hospital to hospital in search of their loved ones, some photographs.
“Francisco Alberto Méndez … Rosa Herminia Pérez … Ramón Teodoro Jiménez … Juan Manuel Santana,” read a civil servant while the crowd stretched to listen.
“Here! Here!” cried a person when hearing the name of his beloved.
In the crowd was Virginia Rosario, who was looking for parents, including her cousin, who is still missing, and her sister, Rosa Herminia Pérez, who died and she described as “beautiful, precious, very nice”.
“I suffer a lot,” she said. “I had many moments of despair.”
The officials said on Wednesday morning that they could not identify at least 33 bodies.
“This is a very traumatic situation,” said national legislator Pedro Martínez, who has also disappeared.
Among those looking for friends and family, there was Kimberly Jones, whose godson, the 45 -year -old artist Osiris Blanc, and his friends were missing.
“It was their favorite place, they went there almost every Monday,” said Jones. She said her niece also lacked.
It was not immediately clear which caused the roof collapse, or when the Jet Set building was inspected for the last time.
The club has published a statement saying that it was cooperating with the authorities. A spokesperson for the family owner of the club told the Associated Press that she has sent questions about potential inspections.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Public Works referred questions to the mayor’s office. A spokesperson for the mayor’s office did not respond to a request for comments.
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Coto reported in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
