No fewer than 100 clubbers, who sustained varying degrees of injuries, after a roof collapsed at a nightclub in the Dominican Republic, have been pronounced dead, increasing the death toll to 113, while 150 were injured.
According to the director of the Emergency Operations Centre (COE), Juan Méndez, part of the victims were among those transferred to the hospital after the incident occurred inside the Jet Set club located in the capital, Santo Domingo.
” Nobody has been found alive since 3 pm. As long as there is hope for life, all authorities will be working to recover or rescue these people,” Mendez said.
During a press briefing on Wednesday, President Luis Abinader disclosed that the governor of Monte Cristi province, Nelsy Cruz, and former Major League Baseball pitcher, Octavio Dotel, were among those confirmed dead.
The incident occurred at the Jet Set nightclub, which has a capacity of approximately 1,700 people, during a live performance by popular regional singer Rubby Perez.
According to local media reports, there were between 500 and 1,000 people inside the club when the roof collapsed at around 12:44 a.m. yesterday.
Over 370 rescue personnel were deployed to comb through mounds of fallen bricks, steel bars, and tin sheets for survivors.
President Abinader, meanwhile, has declared a three-day national mourning period, a somber reflection of the nation’s grief and solidarity with those affected by the recent tragedy.
