At least 15 people have tragically lost their lives after a roof collapsed at a nightclub in Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic. The incident occurred in the early hours of Tuesday during a concert by renowned merengue singer Rubby Pérez at the Jet Set discotheque, a popular venue that frequently hosts dance music events. Many others have been injured, and rescue workers are still actively searching for survivors under the rubble.
The cause of the collapse is still under investigation, but the disaster has deeply affected the community. Video footage from inside the club captures the moments leading up to the collapse, with some attendees sitting at tables and others dancing to the music. In one recording, a man points to the ceiling and mentions that something had fallen before the disaster struck. Moments later, the footage cuts to black, and a woman can be heard screaming for her father.
Rescue operations continue, with over 100 ambulance trips already made to local hospitals, sometimes transporting multiple injured people at once. The country’s Emergency Operations Centre (COE) has reported that rescue teams remain hopeful that some of the victims trapped under the debris are still alive.
Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader has expressed his condolences to the families affected by this heartbreaking tragedy. Local officials, including Juan Manuel Méndez, the COE director, are working tirelessly to account for all those involved and manage the ongoing crisis. The nightclub, which was crowded at the time of the collapse, had been hosting a lively concert, and many patrons were caught off guard by the sudden disaster.