The death toll from the roof collapse at the Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, has tragically risen to 218, as officials confirmed on Thursday that hopes of finding survivors have dwindled to nothing. The disaster struck during a concert early Tuesday, causing widespread devastation at one of the country’s most frequented nightclubs.
Emergency officials have not disclosed an estimated number of attendees at the nightclub at the time of the incident, which is known to accommodate approximately 700 to 1,000 guests, particularly bustling on Monday nights. Juan Manuel Méndez, the director of the emergency response team, mentioned that they are trying to calculate the number of tickets sold alongside the number of individuals currently unaccounted for at local hospitals.
On Wednesday, the authorities transitioned from search and rescue operations to body recovery efforts, stating that they had exhausted all reasonable possibilities of finding live individuals in the rubble. Over 300 rescuers are now engaged in digging through the debris, with a promise from Méndez that no one would be abandoned.
The incident devastated the community, claiming the lives of notable figures, including a local governor, members of a prominent banking family, and two former Major League Baseball players. Among those recovered was Rubby Pérez, a well-known merengue singer who was performing at the time of the collapse.
As the nation mourns, discussions are intensifying regarding the enforcement of building safety regulations to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
