At least 44 people died and 146 were injured when the roof of a nightclub collapsed in the Dominican Republic.
The country’s Emergency Operations Center reported that the incident occurred at approximately 1 am (0500GMT) on Tuesday at the Jet Set nightclub, located in Santo Domingo, the nation’s capital.
“To date, 146 individuals have been transferred to various health facilities and regrettably 44 have died due to the structural collapse,” the agency said. “We extend our deepest condolences to the affected families during this difficult time.”
The collapse occurred during a performance by merengue singer Rubby Perez, who was also trapped in the debris. Perez was rescued from the rubble on Tuesday morning after the search team heard him singing one of his songs, an account confirmed by his daughter, Zulinka Perez, who told Dominican media that her father was “injured, but alive.”
Authorities reported the death of Nelsy Cruz, governor of the Montecristi province, in the incident. According to President Luis Abinader, Cruz informed him of the events via telephone shortly after they occurred, and later died at the hospital.
Abinader expressed his sorrow and stated that all emergency response agencies are working tirelessly on rescue efforts.
“Our priority is to save the lives of those affected,” he said.
More than 370 rescuers are currently working to locate the injured and recover the deceased.
Estimates suggest that approximately 500 people may have been present at the time of the collapse, although the nightclub’s capacity is more than twice that.
The nightclub had previously experienced a fire in 2023 that destroyed a portion of its facilities.
The Public Works Ministry has announced an investigation into the causes of the structural failure.
The government declared three days of national mourning.