Alongside the fatalities, more than 150 people were injured after the roof of Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo collapsed during a live performance by legendary merengue singer Rubby Pérez, per BBC News.
The disaster struck in the early hours of Tuesday while hundreds of people were inside the venue. Rescue teams — including more than 400 emergency responders — have been working around the clock to search for survivors trapped beneath the rubble.
“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 Juan Manuel Méndez, director of the city’s Center of Emergency Operations.
Among those killed were two former Major League Baseball players — Octavio Dotel and Tony Blanco — as well as Monte Cristi province governor Nelsy Cruz. The tragedy has sent shockwaves through the Dominican Republic and far beyond.
Octavio Dotel, 51, a Dominican right-handed pitcher who made his MLB debut with the New York Mets in 1999, was pulled from the debris but died on the way to the hospital, per the New York Post.
Dotel played for eight MLB teams over a 15-year career, including the Houston Astros, Oakland A’s, New York Yankees, and Detroit Tigers. He was part of the 2011 St. Louis Cardinals team that won the World Series.
Dotel had reportedly accompanied 45-year-old Blanco to the concert. Blanco had a brief MLB career with the Washington Nationals in 2005, playing 56 games, and later enjoyed success in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball league.
The Dominican government confirmed both players were at the nightclub at the time of the collapse.
Rubby Pérez, one of the Caribbean’s most celebrated merengue singers, was also among the dead, according to his family.
His manager, Enrique Paulino — his shirt stained with blood — confirmed that Pérez had been pulled from the wreckage but did not survive. Paulino also said that the group’s saxophonist was among those crushed to death.
Video footage from inside the nightclub showed fans sitting at tables and dancing while Pérez performed.
In one clip seen by the BBC, a man near the stage pointed up and said, “something fell from the ceiling.” Pérez can be seen looking toward the spot.
Less than 30 seconds later, a deafening noise is heard before the recording goes black. A woman’s voice cries out: “Dad, what’s happened to you?”
One band member later told local media the venue had been completely packed. “I thought it was an earthquake,” he said.
President Luis Abinader visited the site and issued a national statement on social media: “We deeply regret the tragedy that occurred at the Jet Set nightclub. We have been following the incident minute by minute since it occurred.”
He later declared April 8, 9, and 10 as national days of mourning to honor those who died.
Nelsy Cruz, governor of Monte Cristi province and the sister of seven-time MLB All-Star Nelson Cruz, also perished in the collapse. Her loss added yet another heartbreaking layer to the national tragedy.
Santo Domingo Mayor Carolina Mejía de Garrigó said: “Our city wakes up to a terrible tragedy that occurred at the Jet Set nightclub. My deepest sympathy goes out to the families still waiting for news of their loved ones.”
At hospitals, chaos and emotion ran high. Officials stood outside reading the names of survivors while anxious relatives screamed out names of their missing loved ones.
According to Noticias SIN, 31 of the injured were taken to Dr. Dario Contreras Hospital, with 12 in critical condition.
The cause of the collapse is still unknown.
The U.S. Embassy in Santo Domingo also issued a statement via Charge d’Affaires Patricia Aguilera: “We stand in solidarity with the families of the victims, the injured and all the Dominican people at this difficult time. We appreciate the tireless efforts of the rescue teams,” she wrote on Facebook.
Meanwhile, Jet Set nightclub released a public statement: “We are in a state of profound grief and dismay over the deaths. We are cooperating fully and transparently with the relevant authorities to assist the victims and clarify what happened.”
