A roof collapsed at a nightclub in the Dominican Republic’s capital early Tuesday, killing at least 79 people and injuring more than 155 others, according to authorities.
According to Juan Manuel Méndez, director of the Center of Emergency Operations, crews were searching for potential survivors in the rubble of Santo Domingo’s Jet Set club.
“We presume that many of them are still alive, and that is why the authorities here will not give up until not a single person remains under that rubble,” said the minister.
He stated that teams were still working to determine how many people were present at the scene at the time of the incident. Nearly 12 hours after the nightclub’s roof collapsed on patrons, rescuers were still pulling survivors from beneath the debris.
Firefighters removed broken concrete blocks and used sawed wood planks to lift heavy debris as the sound of drills breaking through concrete filled the air.
Méndez stated that rescue crews were prioritizing three areas within the club: “We’re hearing some sounds.”
A specialized canine unit has been brought in to assist with searches in critical, hard-to-reach areas, according to emergency officials.
Nelsy Cruz, the governor of the northwestern province of Montecristi and the sister of seven-time Major League Baseball All-Star Nelson Cruz, was one of the victims.
She called President Luis Abinader at 12:49 a.m., telling him she was trapped and the roof had collapsed, First Lady Raquel Abraje told reporters. According to officials, Cruz died later at the hospital.
“This is too great a tragedy,” Abraje said in a broken voice.
In a statement, Cruz’s family praised “her legacy of service and love for others.”
Octavio Dotel, a retired Major League Baseball pitcher, died in the collapse, according to a statement from the Dominican Republic Professional Baseball League.
Throughout his career, Dotel played for over a dozen teams, including the New York Mets and Yankees, the Houston Astros, the Chicago White Sox, the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Colorado Rockies, and the Detroit Tigers. He also helped lead the St. Louis Cardinals to a World Series championship in 2011.
Rubby Pérez, a Merengue singer who was performing at the time of the collapse, was killed in the disaster, according to his manager, Enrique Paulino, who told CBS News.
Paulino, whose shirt was splattered with blood, told reporters at the scene that the concert began shortly before midnight and ended nearly an hour later when the roof collapsed.
“It happened suddenly. I thought it was an earthquake, so I threw myself to the ground and covered my head,” he explained. “We tried to get to the area where Rubby was but there was too much debris there.”
It was not immediately clear what caused the roof to collapse. According to a statement from the Jet Set club, “We are fully and transparently collaborating with the competent authorities to help the victims and clarify what happened.”
The club stated that the tragedy “has deeply struck the hearts of all of us who are members of Jet Set and all Dominicans.” The loss of human life causes us great pain and dismay.
In this difficult time, our thoughts and prayers are with each of the affected families. We feel their pain as if it were our own, because we are also in mourning.
President Abinader announced on social media that all rescue agencies were “working tirelessly” to assist those affected.
“We deeply regret the tragic events that occurred at the Jet Set nightclub. “We’ve been monitoring the incident minute by minute since it happened,” he wrote.
Abinader arrived at the scene and hugged those searching for loved ones, some of whom were crying.
“We have faith in God that we will rescue even more people alive,” he told reporters.
At one hospital where the injured were taken, an official stood outside reading aloud the names of survivors while a crowd gathered around her and yelled out their loved ones’ names.
Manuel Olivo Ortiz, whose son attended the concert but did not return home, was among those anxiously waiting outside the club, which is known for its traditional Monday parties featuring renowned national and international artists.
“We’re only holding on to God,” Olivo explained.
Darlenys Batista’s godmother, Massiel Cuevas, was also waiting for word.
“I am waiting for her. “She’s in there, I know she’s in there,” Cuevas stated, confident that Batista would be rescued alive.