Dominican Nightclub
The death toll from the tragic roof collapse at a nightclub in the Dominican Republic has reached 226, according to authorities. The disaster occurred early Tuesday at the Jet Set club in the capital, Santo Domingo, during a performance by merengue singer Rubby Pérez.
The collapse initially claimed the lives of 221 people inside the nightclub, with four more individuals passing away in hospitals. On Saturday, the health ministry confirmed the death of a Costa Rican citizen, raising the toll to 226. Health Minister Victor Atallah reported that some of the victims who suffered severe burns were still battling for their lives in hospitals.
This devastating event has been described as the worst tragedy the Caribbean nation has faced in decades, surpassing the 136 fatalities from a 2005 prison fire in Higuey.
The president’s office confirmed that 189 individuals were pulled alive from the rubble, and images from the scene depicted a haunting aftermath, with the nightclub reduced to a heap of twisted metal and debris, resembling the destruction of an earthquake.
On Thursday, a public memorial service was held for the singer Rubby Pérez, who died at the scene of the collapse. The event, attended by President Luis Abinader and Pérez’s daughter, Zulinka, who had miraculously survived, paid tribute to the late artist’s legacy.
The tragedy has left a deep mark on the nation, with many of those affected expressing their grief at an improvised vigil held near the nightclub on Friday evening. People gathered to honor the victims with candles, flowers, and heartfelt messages.
The Dominican government has been working tirelessly to return the remains of the victims to their families. By Saturday morning, all bodies were reportedly returned, but some families encountered distressing errors, as bodies were misidentified.
One grieving father, Julio Alberto Acosta, recounted how his stepdaughter’s body was mistakenly given to another family.
Among the victims were several foreign nationals, including a Haitian, an Italian, two French citizens, and “several” Americans, according to the U.S. State Department. Two retired Major League Baseball players and a provincial governor were also among the casualties.
In response to the scale of the disaster, the Dominican government has brought in twelve additional forensic pathologists to assist with the identification process. The national mourning period has been extended for an additional three days, ending on Sunday.
President Abinader has promised to investigate the cause of the collapse thoroughly, pledging to determine “what happened, why it happened, and how it happened.” A special commission of national and international experts has been formed to look into the details of this tragic incident.
