POLITICS

Hope of finding survivors fades in aftermath of Dominican club roof collapse

Apr 9, 2025, 9:35 PM | Updated: Apr 10, 2025, 9:46 pm

Rescue workers stand next to a recovered body of a victim who died when the roof collapsed two nigh...

Rescue workers stand next to a recovered body of a victim who died when the roof collapsed two nights prior at the Jet Set nightclub during a merengue concert, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Wednesday, April 9, 2025, (AP Photo/Ricardo Hernandez)
Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS

(AP Photo/Ricardo Hernandez)

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) — Rescue crews in the Dominican Republic on Thursday dug through the remains of a legendary nightclub whose roof collapsed earlier this week, killing at least 184 people, but hope of finding survivors was slim.

Meanwhile, dozens of people in the capital of Santo Domingo still searched for their loved ones, growing frustrated upon getting no answers after visiting hospitals and the country’s forensic institute.

Doctors warned that some of the two dozen patients who remained hospitalized were still not in the clear, especially the eight who were in critical condition.

“If the trauma is too great, there’s not a lot of time” left to save patients in that condition, said Health Minister Dr. Víctor Atallah.

He and other doctors said that injuries include fractures in the skull, femur and pelvis caused by slabs of cement falling on those attending a merengue concert at the Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo, where more than 200 were injured.

The government said Wednesday night that it was moving to a recovery phase focused on finding bodies, but Juan Manuel Méndez, director of the Center of Emergency Operations, said crews at the scene were still looking for victims and potential survivors although no one has been found alive since Tuesday afternoon.

“We’re not going to abandon anyone. Our work will continue,” he said.

The legendary club was packed with musicians, professional athletes and government officials when dust began falling from the ceiling and into people’s drinks early Tuesday. Minutes later, the roof collapsed.

Victims include merengue icon Rubby Pérez, who had been singing to the crowd before the roof fell; former MLB players Octavio Dotel and Tony Enrique Blanco Cabrera; and Nelsy Cruz, the governor of the northwestern province of Montecristi whose brother is seven-time Major League Baseball All-Star Nelson Cruz.

Also killed was a retired United Nations official; saxophonist Luis Solís, who was playing onstage when the roof fell; New York-based fashion designer Martín Polanco; the son and daughter-in-law of the minister of public works; the brother of the vice minister of the Ministry of Youth; and three employees of Grupo Popular, a financial services company, including the president of AFP Popular Bank and his wife.

Randolfo Rijo Gómez, director of the country’s 911 system, said it received more than 100 calls, with several of those made by people buried under the rubble. He noted that police arrived at the scene in 90 seconds, followed minutes later by first response units. In less than half an hour, 25 soldiers, seven fire brigades and 77 ambulances were activated, he said.

Crews used dogs and thermal cameras to search for victims, rescuing 145 survivors from the rubble, authorities said.

It wasn’t immediately clear what caused the roof to collapse, or when the Jet Set building was last inspected.

The government said late Wednesday that once the recovery phase ends, it will launch a thorough investigation.

The club issued a statement saying it was cooperating with authorities. A spokesperson for the family that owns the club told The Associated Press that she passed along questions about potential inspections.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Public Works referred questions to the mayor’s office. A spokesperson for the mayor’s office did not respond to a request for comment.

Politics

FILE - In this June 16, 2020 file photo, a city worker measures the statue of Christopher Columbus ...

Associated Press

Indigenous activists see Trump’s Columbus Day rhetoric as cause for continued advocacy

This week, President Donald Trump announced he won’t recognize Indigenous Peoples Day and will bring Columbus Day “back from the ashes” — another sign some Native leaders say that advocacy for Indigenous representation must continue during Trump’s second term in the White House. Columbus Day, celebrated annually in October, venerates the accomplishments of Italian explorer […]

3 hours ago

FILE - Cuban-Americans chant pro-Trump slogans as they show their support for Republican presidenti...

Associated Press

Trump brands his opponents as ‘communists,’ a label loaded with the baggage of American history

For years, President Donald Trump blamed “communists” for his legal and political troubles. Now, the second Trump administration is deploying that same historically loaded label to cast his opponents — from judges to educators — as threats to American identity, culture and values. Why? Trump himself explained the strategy last year when he described how […]

4 hours ago

FILE - This undated photo provided by the Kansas Department of Revenue shows a Kansas REAL ID. (Kan...

Associated Press

Don’t have a REAL ID yet? That could cause you travel headaches after May 7

NEW YORK (AP) — The deadline to get a REAL ID is fast approaching after years of postponements and delays. Starting May 7, your license or identification card will need to be REAL ID-compliant to fly domestically in the U.S. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like there will be another delay in the deadline this time. […]

5 hours ago

FILE - Harmeet Dhillon walks through a hallway after talking to reporters at the Republican Nationa...

Associated Press

Justice Department will switch its focus on voting and prioritize Trump’s elections order, memo says

The Justice Department unit that ensures compliance with voting rights laws will switch its focus to investigating voter fraud and ensuring elections are not marred by “suspicion,” according to an internal memo obtained by The Associated Press. The new mission statement for the voting section makes a passing reference to the historic Voting Rights Act, […]

5 hours ago

FILE - National Security Advisor Mike Waltz speaks during a television interview at the White House...

Associated Press

Waltz ouster adds to tumult in Trump’s national security team but consolidates power in fewer hands

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s removal of national security adviser Mike Waltz brings further disruption to a national security team that has already endured scrutiny over using the Signal messaging app to discuss sensitive military operations as well as mounting questions over the leadership of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the firing of the […]

5 hours ago

Associated Press

Europe will mark V-E Day’s 80th anniversary as once-unbreakable bonds with the US are under pressure

THIMISTER-CLERMONT, Belgium (AP) — The memory of blood dripping from trucks loaded with the mangled bodies of U.S. soldiers arriving at a nearby war cemetery straight from the battlefield in 1945 still gives 91-year-old Marcel Schmetz nightmares. It also instilled a lifelong sense of gratitude for the young soldiers from the United States and around […]

12 hours ago

Hope of finding survivors fades in aftermath of Dominican club roof collapse