More than a dozen people are dead after the roof of a Dominican Republic nightclub collapsed early Tuesday as a well-known merengue singer was mid-performance, authorities said.
At least 13 were killed, and roughly 90 others were rushed to the hospital when the roof of the renowned Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo suddenly caved in as Rubby Pérez was on stage, according to cops.
Pérez was among those pulled alive from the rubble, local media reported.
Rescue crews were still sifting through the debris to find additional survivors, police said.
“We presume that many of them are still alive, and that is why the authorities here will not give up until not a single person remains under that rubble,” said Juan Manuel Méndez, director of the city’s Center of Emergency Operations.
At one of the many hospitals where the injured were taken, an official stood outside reading out the names of survivors as a crowd gathered and screamed out the names of their loved ones.
It wasn’t immediately clear what caused the roof to collapse.
President Luis Abinader said that all rescue agencies were “working tirelessly” to help those affected.
“We deeply regret the tragedy that occurred at the Jet Set nightclub. We have been following the incident minute by minute since it occurred,” he wrote on X.
Santo Domingo Mayor Carolina Mejía de Garrigó added: “Our city wakes up to a terrible tragedy that occurred at the Jet Set nightclub. My deepest sympathy goes out to the families still waiting for news of their loved ones.”
With Post wires
