The death toll in the horrific nightclub roof collapse in the Dominican Republic continued to rise Wednesday — hitting 124 as rescue workers set up makeshift morgues outside the disaster zone.
Authorities warn that they are running out of time to rescue anyone who might still be alive under the rubble.
The dead include two former Major League Baseball players, including World Series champ Octavio Dotel, popular merengue singer Rubby Pérez, and a slew of prominent local politicians and business leaders.
With many people still unaccounted for following Tuesday night’s nightmare, rescue crews are still hard at work digging through the debris.
Officials are struggling to maintain order as horrified family members desperately hold out hope and search for answers.
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It wasn’t immediately clear what caused the roof to collapse, with Jet Set working with officials to investigate the incident.
“The loss of human life leaves us in a state of profound grief and dismay,” the nightclub said in a statement. “We are cooperating fully and transparently with the relevant authorities to assist the victims and clarify what happened.”
Where do rescue efforts stand?
The nation’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is leading the response in Santo Domingo, with officials bringing in 12 rescue crews from Puerto Rico, and nine from Israel to help with the search and rescue efforts.
EOC chief Juan Manuel Mendez estimated Wednesday that the teams have “24 to 36 hours left” to try to find the remaining survivors.
“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,” Mendez said.
Follow the latest on the tragic roof collapse at a Dominican Republic nightclub:
- Terrifying moment Dominican Republic nightclub’s roof collapses, killing 113 and trapping dozens
- Two ex-MLB players among those killed in nightmare Dominican Republic nightclub roof collapse
- Former MLB All-Star Nelson Cruz’s sister dead in Dominican Republic nightclub roof collapse
- Singer Rubby Pérez, who performed at Dominican Republic nightclub during roof collapse, declared dead
- MLB world mourns Octavio Dotel, Tony Blanco after deaths in nightclub tragedy: ‘Heartbroken’
How many people have been killed and hurt?
Eleven more bodies were pulled out of the rubble of the Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo Wednesday morning, with the number of injured reaching 155, according to the National Police of the Dominican Republic.
Only 91 of dead have been identified so far, with the nation’s Emergency Operations Center and Ministry of Health working around the clock to identify the dead inside the impromptu morgue built near the destroyed nightclub, local Noticias Sin reported.
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The National Institute of Forensic Pathology has started projecting pictures of the victims who have been pulled out of the destroyed nightclub so their loved ones can help identify them.
Officials warned that the death toll will almost certainly increase as the work continues.
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Celebrity deaths
A handful of national and international celebrities were mingling and partying at the nightclub when the roof caved in and killed them.
Among the big names was Dotel, 51, who entered the MLB as a Mets prospect in 1999 and also played for the Yankees in 2006. He found his big success as part of the 2011 St. Louis Cardinals, who claimed the World Series win against the Texas Rangers.
Renowned merengue singer Rubby Pérez, 69, who recently played several shows in New York City, was also killed in the catastrophe, according to his family and manager.
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Perez was performing at the nightclub and working the crowd when debris started falling from the ceiling, with the whole roof collapsing just seconds later, witnesses told Noticias Sin.
Also killed was Tony Blanco, 45, who played for the Washington Nationals, and Nelsy Cruz, the governor of Montecristi and sister of former MLB slugger Nelson Cruz.
Martin Polanco, an NYC-based fashion designer who styled for Daddy Yankee and the Univision news crew, was also identified as one of the victims.
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History of the Jet Set club
The iconic nightclub in Santo Domingo debuted in 1973 as a hotspot that featured popular local and international merengue artists.
Famed for its “Jet Set Mondays” setlist, the club and restaurant became the most popular venue of its kind in the Dominican Republic, according to the newspaper Listín Diario.
The iconic club underwent renovations in 2010 and 2015. In 2023, a fire broke out at the club when it was struck by lightning.
With Post wires
