A devastating roof collapse at a popular nightclub in the capital of the Dominican Republic has claimed at least 124 lives, authorities said on Wednesday, as the search for survivors turns increasingly grim.
The nightclub collapsed on Tuesday and for two days families have gathered outside the wreckage of the Jet Set club in Santo Domingo, anxious for information about their missing relatives and sharing photos with police.
“In the coming hours there will be a transition from a search and rescue phase to the recovery of the bodies phase,” presidential spokesperson Homero Figueroa said in a statement.
Along with dozens of others, Alex de Leon continued looking for his ex-wife, mother of their two children, and a close mutual friend at the area surrounding the nightclub.
“Unfortunately I don’t have any information about where they are,” he said.
“My 15 year-old son is devastated, and the little one who is 9 remains calm because we’ve told him that his mom is at work,” De Leon added.
Since Tuesday’s afternoon authorities have not pulled out any survivors, after 155 people were rescued from the rubble and transferred to hospitals.
Relatives and friends of people who are still missing held their photos and described the clothes they were wearing when the tragedy struck, hoping that it will help identify their loved ones if they were disfigured.
The prime minister of neighboring Haiti, Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime, offered his condolences on X, saying his thoughts were “with the families of the victims and their loved ones.”
FROM CELEBRATION TO TRAGEDY
The tragedy unfolded during a concert by popular Dominican merengue singer Rubby Perez. The event, which had drawn politicians, athletes and other prominent figures, turned into a nightmare after midnight as the roof suddenly collapsed.
Perez was one of the victims. Authorities confirmed that his body was recovered on Wednesday morning.
Pitcher Octavio Dotel and slugger Tony Blanco, both former Major League Baseball players, were also killed.
Another victim was Nelsy Cruz, governor of the northern Monte Cristi province, President Luis Abinader said. Cruz was the sister of former MLB player Nelson Cruz, a seven-time All-Star.
The son of the public works and communications minister also died in the disaster.
(Reporting by Paul Mathiasen,)
