A top emergency response official said more than 150 patients have been taken to different hospitals as search and rescue efforts remain underway Tuesday.
At least 27 people are dead, including a governor and a saxophonist, after the roof of a Santo Domingo nightclub collapsed early Tuesday, according to Dominican Republic police.
It’s not yet clear what caused the roof of the Jet Set nightclub, a renowned club in the National District, to collapse. But owners of the business said in a statement that they are “fully and transparently cooperating with the relevant authorities to assist the victims and clarify what happened.”
The disaster unfolded during a performance by merengue singer Rubby Perez, local media reported.
There were 138 ambulance transfers to different hospitals, and search and rescue efforts are underway, Juan Manuel Méndez, the nation’s director of emergency management operations, said in a press conference late Tuesday morning.
Méndez said the number of those hospitalized is higher as multiple people may be transferred by an ambulance at a time. He estimates there are more than 150 patients who have been taken to different hospitals.
“We are still working, searching for people in the rubble. 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,” Mendez said in a video shared on the Dominican Republic National Police Instagram page.
Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader confirmed Tuesday morning that Nelsy Cruz, governor of the Montecristi province, is among those killed in the roof collapse.
Cruz’s brother, famous baseball player Nelson Cruz, shared a statement on behalf of the family on his Instagram story announcing that his sister’s remains “will be on display at the Provincial Government of Montecristi” Tuesday afternoon and a funeral will be held in the evening .
Dominican Minister of Culture Roberto Ángel Salcedo also expressed his condolences in an X post.
“I deeply regret the passing of my dear friend and colleague, Nelsy Cruz, governor of Montecristi province, which occurred in the tragic event at the Jet Set nightclub,” Salcedo said. “Her death is an irreparable loss for her community and for the entire country. Nelsy was a committed public servant, a woman of steadfast leadership, and an unwavering ally in initiatives aimed at strengthening our identity and development.”
Perez’s daughter, Zulinka Pérez, said her father started to sing so rescuers could find him in the rubble, local media reported.
The singer is in stable condition following the tragedy, the daughter said.
Perez’s manager, Enrique Paulino, whose shirt was spattered with blood, told reporters at the scene that the merengue concert began shortly before midnight, with the roof collapsing almost an hour later and killing the group’s saxophonist, The Associated Press reported.
“Let’s keep praying that more people continue to appear alive,” Herrera added.
Photos of the scene by local media show the building’s fallen roof in pieces, crumbling cement walls and piles of debris.
“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,” Santo Domingo Mayor Carolina Mejía de Garrigó wrote on X on Tuesday morning.
She said that the city’s national disaster response committee is active.
Abinader toured the collapse site Tuesday morning and said the main objective was to “save lives.”
“All night, we’ve followed it minute by minute to make sure all government resources are being utilized. We have a long way to go, and we have faith in God that we’ll save more people who are alive here,” he said, according to a video shared by police.
