Families in the Dominican Republic are mourning a tremendous loss.
At least 44 people have died and 146 are injured after the roof of the Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo collapsed during a Rubby Pérez performance in the early hours of April 8, Dominican authorities confirmed.
“We are still working, searching for people in the rubble,” director of emergency management operations Juan Manuel Méndez said in Spanish during a press conference hours after the incident. “We presume that many of them are still alive. That’s why the authorities here with their teams will not stop until we find the last person in that rubble.”
Among those deceased were the saxophonist performing alongside Perez and Monte Crisiti governor Nelsy Cruz, aswell as MLB pitcher Octavio Dotel, the Dominican National Police confirmed, per ESPN. Méndez shared that 146 people of the more than 300 inside the club at the time were rushed to the hospital.
Perez’s daughter Zulinka Pérez told local outlets that her dad is in stable condition following the collapse, adding to Listin Diario that he started singing under the rubble so rescuers could hear him.
As authorities continue the recovery process after the collapse—which occurred during the merengue artist’s set around 1 a.m. local time—the nightclub expressed their condolences.
“The loss of human lives leaves us in a state of profound sorrow and grief,” the venue shared in a statement on Instagram. “In this difficult moment, our prayers are with each of the affected families. We share their pain as if it were our own, as we, too, are in mourning. We are working fully and transparently with the competent authorities to assist the victims and clarify what happened.”
Meanwhile, the victims’ loved ones, like Cruz’s brother and baseball player Nelson Cruz, posted a statement following the incident. Along with sharing information about his sister’s funeral, he reflected on his sister’s legacy in his April 8 Instagram Stories.
He described the politician as someone “who in life, worked with dedication, compassion and love for her people and her community.”
Others, however, have been waiting for updates on their own loved ones, including Massiel Cuevas, the godmother of attendee Darlenys Batista. “I’m waiting for her,” she told the Associated Press. “She’s in there. I know she’s in there.”
