The roof of the legendary Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo collapsed early Tuesday morning, leaving 27 dead and over 150 attendees injured and sent to local hospitals for treatment. The tragedy occurred at around 1 AM while merengue singer Rubby Pérez was in the middle of performing a sold out show. Pérez was among those rescued from the rubble and was taken to a hospital for treatment. Former MLB star and World Series champ Octavio Dotel was also among those rescued from the site, but reportedly passed away on the way to the hospital.
While the cause of the collapse is unclear, rescue efforts remain underway. The owners of the club released a statement on Instagram saying that they are, “fully and transparently cooperating with the relevant authorities to assist the victims and clarify what happened.”
Juan Manuel Méndez, the nation’s director of emergency management operations confirmed that they are still currently searching for survivors and would not give up until everyone had been rescued. In a video posted to the Dominican Republic National Police Instagram page, he said, “We are still working, searching for people in the rubble. We presume that many of them are still alive, that’s why the authorities here with their teams will not stop until we find the last person in that rubble.”
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Nelsy Cruz, governor of the Montecristi province, is among those confirmed to have perished in the roof collapse. Her brother, MLB Star Nelson Cruz, confirmed her passing in a statement released to his Instagram account.
Zunilka Pérez, daughter of Rubby Pérez, told members of the press in an interview that her father was found beneath the rubble singing so that rescuers could find him.
