Officials in the Dominican Republic said on Thursday the death toll from Tuesday’s tragic collapse of a popular nightclub has grown to over 200 people.
The official count of bodies recovered from the collapsed building stood at 221 on Thursday, with another 155 injured, and rescue workers said the chances of recovering anyone alive were slim.
Rescue workers have recovered 189 survivors from the disaster site, but it has been almost 48 hours since a living person was found in the wreckage.
Family members nevertheless gathered at the scene, clutching photos of their missing loved ones and hoping against the odds for good news. Sadly, Emergency Operations Center (EOC) director Juan Manuel Mendez said on Thursday morning that rescue efforts were officially ending after 33 hours of nonstop work.
“Today we conclude the most difficult work in my 20 years as the head of the EOC,” Mendez said tearfully.
The collapse occurred at the Jet Set nightclub in the Dominican capital of Santo Domingo at half past midnight on Tuesday while the club was packed to capacity for a performance by 69-year-old Dominican merengue legend Rubby Perez.
Perez was among the fatalities when the roof of the building abruptly collapsed, coming down in a matter of moments and leaving the nightclub’s occupants with no chance to escape. Survivors compared the experience to living through an earthquake.
The cause of the collapse has not yet been determined, as most of the Dominican Republic’s rescue teams — plus additional crews from Puerto Rico and Israel — have been scrambling to find survivors in the wreckage.
The Jet Set nightclub has been in business since 1973 and had become one of the most popular clubs in the Dominican Republic. It has long offered merengue performances known as “Jet Set Mondays.” The building that collapsed after midnight on Tuesday was not the original location of the club.
According to the Associated Press (AP), the current location of the Jet Set was renovated in 2010 and 2015, and was hit by lightning in 2023. It is not clear when the building was last inspected, or how intensive such an inspection might have been.
Other celebrity victims of the collapse included former Major League Baseball (MLB) players Octavio Dotel, 51, and Tony Blanco, 44. Dotel was recovered from the debris alive, but died on his way to the hospital.
Another victim with a baseball connection was Nelsy Milagros Cruz Martinez, governor of the city of Monte Cristi and sister of MLB player Nelson Cruz.
MLB Commissioner Robert Manfred Jr. said on Tuesday that the league was “deeply saddened” by the deaths of Dotel, Blanco, and Cruz, as well as all of the other victims. Hall of Fame player Pedro Martinez said several members of his family were missing.
“We send our heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of all those who have been affected and to our colleague Nelson and his entire family. The connection between baseball and the Dominican Republic runs deep, and we are thinking of all the Dominican players and fans across the game today,” Manfred Jr. said.
“There are no words to express the pain this event has caused. What happened has been devastating for everyone. We want you to know that we are with you, that we share your anguish from the very beginning, and that we have been cooperating fully and transparently with the authorities,” said Antonio Espaillat, owner of the Jet Set nightclub.
“Everything we do now, every decision, every step, has one purpose: to live up to your pain and be with you,” he said.
The Jet Set nightclub issued a statement on Wednesday that said Espaillat was out of the country when the roof collapse occurred, but quickly returned to “collaborate with authorities in the rescue and investigation efforts.”
“We deeply regret the tragedy that occurred at the Jet Set nightclub,” said Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader.
“We have been following the incident minute by minute since it occurred. All relief agencies have provided the necessary assistance and are working tirelessly in the rescue efforts. Our prayers are with the affected families,” Abinader said.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed on Wednesday that at least one U.S. citizen was killed in the nightclub collapse, along with an unspecified number of U.S. legal permanent residents.
“Our hearts go out to the families and loved ones affected by this devastating event. The U.S. stands ready to support our Dominican allies amid this difficult time,” Rubio said.
