Rescue operations resumed early Wednesday after a devastating nightclub roof collapse in the Dominican Republic killed nearly 100 people.
Renowned merengue artist Rubby Pérez was performing at the Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo when the roof caved in shortly after midnight on Tuesday. His manager confirmed Pérez was among the dead.
As emergency teams worked through the rubble, relatives of victims gathered at the scene, hoping for news. “We have friends, a niece, a cousin trapped inside,” said Rodolfo Espinal, waiting anxiously.
Around 370 rescue workers searched through debris—bricks, metal, and tin—looking for survivors. Among those killed were former Major League Baseball players Octavio Dotel and Tony Blanco. Dotel, 51, was initially rescued alive but later succumbed to his injuries, local reports said.
The club, with a capacity of 1,700, reportedly had between 500 and 1,000 people inside when the collapse occurred at approximately 12:44 a.m. Witnesses said a power outage preceded the collapse, and Pérez’s daughter, Zulinka, recounted escaping while her father could not.
President Luis Abinader announced three days of national mourning and confirmed the death of Monte Cristi governor Nelsy Cruz in the incident. By early Wednesday, the official death toll had risen to 98, with no survivors found since 3 p.m., according to Juan Manuel Méndez of the Emergency Operations Center.
“As long as there’s hope of finding survivors, we’ll keep going,” Méndez stated earlier.
Concertgoer Iris Peña told SIN TV she managed to escape with her son. “Dust started falling into our drinks, and then a stone cracked our table,” she said. “The impact felt like a tsunami or an earthquake.”
Hospitals were flooded with anxious families. “We’re desperate,” said Regina del Rosa, whose sister was at the event. “There’s no news—no updates at all.”
Aerial footage showed a gaping hole where the roof once stood. Heavy machinery was used to lift debris as rescue teams dug through the wreckage. Authorities called for blood donations from the public.
Tributes poured in for Pérez on social media. Fellow merengue legend Wilfrido Vargas mourned “a friend and icon,” while Puerto Rican singer Olga Tañón wrote, “Maestro, you’ve left behind immense sorrow.”
Jet Set, a popular venue with over 50 years of history, hosted weekly performances every Monday. A social media post from the club ahead of the event had invited fans to dance to Pérez’s greatest hits.
The tragedy is one of the deadliest in recent Dominican history. In 2023, an explosion at a plastics plant in San Cristóbal claimed around 40 lives, and in 2005, a fire in an eastern prison killed over 130 inmates.
Tourism, which makes up about 15% of the Dominican Republic’s GDP, remains a vital industry, drawing millions each year to its music, nightlife, beaches, and historic capital.
