What we know about the collapse of the Dominican nightclub and its victims

Cnn
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More than 200 people died after the roof of the popular Jet Set Nightclub collapsed in the capital of the Dominican Republic, Santo Domingo, this week in one of the deadliest tragedies in the Caribbean country.

Images of the scene early Tuesday morning showed how a party event turned into a disaster. The beloved singer of Merengue, Rubby Pérez, is seen for the first time Serenade La Foule, accompanied by his orchestra.

A few moments later, the club’s disco balls begin to swing before the roof suddenly collapsed. The cries and sounds that crash can be heard for several seconds before the video cut.

The fatal incident cost the lives of several eminent Dominicans, including at least two former players from the Major Baseball and Pérez league, sending shock waves across the country while investigators are frantically looking for.

Here is what we know:

The collapse killed at least 225 people and dozens of others were saved from the rubble, Dominican officials told CNN, after the crews finished the search for survivors several days earlier during the day.

At least 189 people were injured, said Dominican Minister of Health Víctor Atallah.

“All the reasonable possibilities of finding more survivors” had been exhausted, “said the Dominican emergency authorities, adding that the objective of their operation now covers organizations.

Many of those who died suffered from trauma to the head, according to the Minister of Health.

“Most deceased died instantly,” Atallah told a local newspaper El Caribe. “Many were seated; The ceiling fell on the head and chests. ”

Research efforts have also ravaged mentally on rescuers. “You hear people trapped, screaming for help – it’s a bit difficult,” said Daniel Heredia, member of the Dominican Civil Protection Service in CNN.

During a press conference Thursday, the country’s emergency director cried by describing the extent of the tragedy.

“Today, I conclude the most difficult work I have ever done during my 20 years of service,” said Juan Manuel Méndez, director of Dominican Emergency Operations Center.

For Juan Salas, director of the country’s civil defense group, the nightclub was unrecognizable upon his arrival on the scene. “What had been a scene of lights, music and joy took a different meaning,” Salas told CNN. “He became gray, lifeless. It became a scene of people who shouted on one side, flowing on the other.”

The family members of the victims who spoke to local media described their frustration to the rhythm of recovery efforts and the pain of not being able to identify their loved ones.

“Just like (President Abinader) brought Puerto Rico rescuers, he should bring more doctors to accelerate this,” said a woman at Nottias Sin.

The Jet Set is one of the most prominent sites in the country, near the animated path of El Malecón in the heart of Santo Domingo. Its Monday evening events are among the busiest.

Hundreds of people are in the club when the roof collapsed early Tuesday morning.

Among the survivors is Javier Molleja, who told CNN that he had heard a “horrible and immense” when the club’s roof collapsed. He was with his mother and managed to escape with her. “It was immediate,” said Molleja about the collapse of the roof. “Everything fell. I mean, absolutely everything.”

The exact cause of the disaster is currently under investigation. On Thursday, the Dominican presidency announced the creation of a commission of inquiry into the exact cause of the disaster, made up of “main experts” of the Dominican Republic and abroad.

Puerto Rican firefighter Joel Figueroa, whose team currently helps the Dominican authorities to rescue and recovery operations, hypothesized that the building could not bring the weight on its roof.

“We have seen concrete slabs in the (nightclub) without dam, which affects the capacity of the building,” said Figueroa, referring to steel bars added to concrete to increase its resistance under tension.

“It is incredible how long this roof has supported this type of charge. We are talking about generators, air conditioners. We have seen different layers of concrete just on the roof which add more weight. And without dam, which also affects the building.”

The nightclub was built over 50 years ago, according to local media reports, and had the capacity to contain up to 500 people.

Air sequences now show the place with a large gaping hole in the middle of the building where the public would have been located during the performance.

The owner of Jet Set, Antonio Espailt, said that the club maintained “full and transparent” cooperation with the authorities meeting the collapse.

“From the start, we collaborate fully and in a transparent manner with the authorities,” said Spaillat in a video published hours after the accident on the club’s Instagram account.

“We remain in constant communication with (emergency services), because research and rescue efforts continue with emergency teams, volunteers and staff of more than 22 institutions.”

Addressing journalists on Thursday, prosecutor Rosalba Ramos said that once the debris is withdrawn to the Jet Set “we will start reports from experts in the zero of the disaster field and contact family members to come to the prosecutor’s office for personal effects and other procedures.”

The club often attracts celebrity customers, and among the dead are many notable figures of Dominican culture, sport and policy.

Pérez, the 69 -year -old singer who died during her performance was known as the “most noisy voice in Merengue”. His daughter Zulinka also sang with him when the nightclub ceiling collapsed.

She told CNN affiliated univided that her father had saved her life. After the collapse, Zulinka said that she had said to Pérez under the rubble that she could not practice because she recovered from surgery.

Pérez said to his daughter: “Okay, stay where your microphone is and I will stay where mine is,” said Zulinka.

If he hadn’t consoled her, “I wouldn’t be there,” Zulinka told Indivision.

Images of the commemorative service of Pérez to the National Theater of Santo Domingo shows on Thursday the Dominican president Luis abinad among the people in mourning. The singer’s mark hat and the sunglasses were placed at the top of his coffin, as well as a crown carrying the message “always with us”.

At least two former Baseball players in the major league also died in the disaster. Octavio Dotel, who won the World Series when he launched for the Cardinals of St. Louis in 2011, died on the hospital.

Tony Blanco, a former Washington Nationals player, was also killed, according to the Commissioner of the MLB, Robert Manfred, and the Sports Ministry of the Dominican Republic.

At least one American citizen and an unknown number of American residents died in the incident, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement on X on Wednesday.

Nelsy Cruz, governor of the province of Monte Cristi, also died on the scene, according to Dominican president Luis Abinader.

Almost immediately after the roof collapsed, Cruz called the president abinader to alert him to the tragedy even when she was trapped under the rubble, according to the first lady Raquel Arbaje. “The president started to mobilize all organizations” to send help just after the call, she said.

“We are grateful to the Dominican authorities,” said a man, Ramón, in CNN. He went to the Dominican Republic of New Jersey after his 23 -year -old niece was killed in the collapse.

On April 10, abinader extended what was initially a three -day mourning period for three additional days.

Ana Melgar de CNN, Michael Rios, Verónica Calderón, Sophie Tanno and Stefano Pozzzebon contributed to the relationships.