SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic — No less than 27 individuals died and 160 others have been injured within the Dominican capital early Tuesday when the roof collapsed at an iconic nightclub the place politicians, athletes and others have been attending a merengue live performance, authorities stated.
Crews have been trying to find potential survivors within the rubble on the one-story Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo, stated Juan Manuel Méndez, director of the Heart of Emergency Operations.
“We presume that lots of them are nonetheless alive, and that’s the reason the authorities right here is not going to quit till not a single particular person stays below that rubble,” he stated.
Nelsy Cruz, the governor of the northwestern province of Montecristi, was among the many victims. In the meantime, the injured embody former Main League baseball pitcher Octavio Dotel, legislator Bray Vargas and merengue singer Rubby Pérez, who was performing when the roof collapsed onto patrons, officers stated.
His supervisor, Enrique Paulino, whose shirt was spattered with blood, informed reporters on the scene that the live performance started shortly earlier than midnight, with the roof collapsing nearly an hour later, killing the group’s saxophonist.
“It occurred so shortly. I managed to throw myself right into a nook,” he stated, including that he initially thought it was an earthquake.
It wasn’t instantly clear what brought about the roof to break down.
Manuel Olivo Ortiz, whose son attended the live performance however didn’t return house, was amongst these anxiously ready outdoors the membership identified for its conventional events held on Monday the place famend nationwide and worldwide artists carry out.
“We’re holding on solely to God,,” Olivo stated.
President Luis Abinader wrote on X that each one rescue companies are “working tirelessly” to assist these affected.
“We deeply remorse the tragedy that occurred on the Jet Set nightclub. Now we have been following the incident minute by minute because it occurred,” he wrote.
Abinader arrived on the scene and hugged these searching for family and friends, some with tears streaming down their faces. He didn’t communicate to reporters.
An official with a megaphone stood outdoors the membership imploring the massive crowd that had gathered to seek for associates and family to offer ambulances area.
“It’s a must to cooperate with authorities, please,” he stated. “We’re eradicating individuals.”
At one hospital the place the injured have been taken, an official stood outdoors studying aloud the names of survivors as a crowd gathered round her and yelled out the names of their family members.
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