Cintia A. , Lebledparle.com
The incident took place in the early hours of Tuesday morning at the Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo, a popular spot famous for its Monday night dance music parties that is frequented by prominent figures. The popular merengue singer Ruby Perez who was performing on that night of the tragedy and is also among the deceased.
Authorities say over 300 hundred people were present in the nightclub at the time of the collapse. Footage taken inside of the venue captures the horrific moment, in which someone near the stage points out that something had fallen in the back of the Jet Set club and moments later everything came crushing down on the people.
Among the deceased are prominent figures, including provincial governor Nelsy Cruz and a former Major League Baseball pitcher Octavio Dotel. According to reports, Dotel died after being pulled out from the rubble, while Governor Cruz died in the hospital from her injuries. Rescue efforts are still ongoing since the day of the incident, with hundreds of emergency personnel still looking through the rubble for survivors, but officials fear that the death toll may rise yet again.
The president of the Dominican Republic Luis Abinader expressed his condolences to the families of those affected about the incident revealing that Governor Cruz had contacted him shortly after the building collapsed to inform him of the unfolding tragedy. Following the disaster, the president declared three days of national mourning beginning Tuesday, offering condolences to the families affected.
While the search still continues, with some families members hopeful that their loved one will make it out alive, investigations have begun to determine the cause of the collapse.
