At least 66 people are dead, including merengue singer Rubby Pérez, a governor and a former MLB player, after the roof of a nightclub collapsed early Tuesday during a concert, according to Dominican Republic police and other sources.
It’s not yet clear what caused the roof of the Jet Set, a renowned club in the National District, to collapse. But the owners 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 happened during a performance by Pérez, local media reported. His manager, Enrique Paulino, said authorities informed him of the star’s death following hospitalization for injuries sustained in the collapse.
More than 150 people were transportedto hospitals, Juan Manuel Méndez, the nation’s director of emergency management operations, said Tuesday afternoon.
“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 said at least 138 people were rescued from the rubble by late Tuesday morning.
Among those initially rescued was former Major League Baseball pitcher Octavio Dotel, local media reported. He was transported to a hospital, but did not survive, officials said.
The Dominican Republic’s Minister of Sports Kelvin Cruz confirmed Dotel’s death in an Instagram post.
“We deeply regret the passing of former Major League Baseball player and Dominican Sports Immortal, Octavio Dotel. His legacy on and off the field leaves an indelible mark on the history of national baseball,” Cruz said.
Dotel played for 13 teams in his 15-year career, including the Houston Astros, the New York Mets and the Detroit Tigers. He won a World Series ring in 2011 with the St. Louis Cardinals.
“Peace to his soul and strength to his family and loved ones,” Cruz said.
Abinader declared three national days of mourning, which will end Thursday, mandating that the national flag be flown at half-mast.
The president also confirmed that Nelsy Cruz, governor of the Montecristi province, was among those killed.
Cruz’s brother, 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” on 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.
“Her death is an irreparable loss for her community and for the entire country,” Salcedo wrote. “Nelsy was a committed public servant, a woman of steadfast leadership, and an unwavering ally in initiatives aimed at strengthening our identity and development.”
Pérez’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.
The entertainer’s daughter Zulinka Pérez said her father started to sing so rescuers could find him in the rubble, local media reported.
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 Tuesday morning.
Carlos Catire , Michelle Acevedo, The Associated Press and Dennis Romero contributed.
