100+ killed after nightclub roof collapses in Dominican Republic

(CNN) — Rescue workers are frantically searching the rubble after the roof of an iconic nightclub in the Dominican Republic collapsed early on Tuesday, killing more than a hundred people.

At least 300 people were inside the Jet Set nightclub, in the capital Santo Domingo, when the roof gave way at around 1 a.m. during a performance by merengue artist Rubby Pérez and his orchestra, authorities said. Pérez’s body was recovered from the scene on Wednesday morning, according to emergency services.

At least 124 people, including two former Major League Baseball players, were killed, according to Juan Manuel Méndez, director of the Emergency Operations Centre, in an update on Wednesday. Of those, 33 bodies are yet to be identified.

Méndez said 145 people who had been rescued on Tuesday were “alive.” It remains unclear how many people are still trapped beneath the rubble.

Desperate families of the missing gathered at the scene on Tuesday, sharing pictures of their loved ones as dozens of ambulances rushed the injured to the hospital.

“We continue clearing debris and searching for people,” Méndez said on Tuesday night. “We’re going to search tirelessly for people.”

The cause of the collapse is not yet known.

Aerial footage from local news outlets on Tuesday morning showed the venue with a large, gaping hole in the middle of the building, where the audience would have been during the performance.

One video shows the band performing while someone near the stage points out that something had fallen at the back of the Jet Set club. Moments later, pendant lights suspended from the ceiling begin to fall, followed by the entire roof. Screams and crashing sounds can be heard for several seconds before the video goes dark.

Former Major League Baseball player Octavio Dotel was among those killed, according to Méndez and Dotel’s foundation. He died en route to hospital after being pulled alive from the rubble, Méndez told CNN.

Dotel’s education academy, Colegio Sabiduría y Baluarte, mourned him in a statement, saying he leaves “an indelible mark on all of us who had the privilege of knowing and working alongside him.”

Another former major leaguer, Tony Blanco, also died following the collapse, Major League Baseball Commissioner Robert Manfred and the Dominican Sports Ministry confirmed.

“We share in the grief of his family, friends, and colleagues, and we offer our prayers for his eternal rest,” the ministry said in a statement regarding Blanco.

Also among the deceased was Nelsy Cruz, governor of the Monte Cristi province, President Luis Abinader announced. Cruz was related to MLB all-star Nelson Cruz, according to a family statement mourning her loss.

Meanwhile, the son of Public Works Minister Eduardo Estrella is among those still missing, Méndez added.

Personnel from at least 22 public institutions are at the site assisting with response efforts, officials said.

Nine rescue workers from Israel and 12 from Puerto Rico have also arrived to support the search, Méndez confirmed on Wednesday.

Three days of mourning

President Abinader has declared three days of mourning following the tragedy. He visited the nightclub on Tuesday morning with his wife, First Lady Raquel Arbaje, to offer condolences to the victims’ families.

“We deeply regret the tragedy that occurred at the Jet Set nightclub,” Abinader wrote on X. “All rescue agencies have provided the necessary assistance and are working tirelessly on rescue efforts. Our prayers are with the affected families.”

Carolina Mejía de Garrigó, the city’s mayor, said Santo Domingo awoke “to a terrible tragedy”, and offered her condolences to families “still waiting for news of their loved ones.”

The Jet Set nightclub is one of the most renowned venues in the Caribbean nation, and its Monday night events are particularly well attended.