1 week Ago By USA TODAY
The death toll has climbed to nearly 200 people after the roof of a popular night club in the Dominican Republic collapsed earlier this week. Emergency crews continue to search the rubble to rescue any survivors following the collapse Tuesday, but prospects are growing increasingly grim for anyone to still be alive as the operation shifts to one of recovery, authorities said. The devastating accident occurred at the Jet Set club in the nation's capital of Santo Domingo during a performance by Rubby Pérez, a merengue singer.
Pérez was among the growing number of people who were killed when the roof collapsed. As of Thursday morning, the death toll stood at 184, Reuters reported . Here's everything we know so far about the disaster: What happened at Jet Set nightclub? The tragedy unfolded after midnight Tuesday while Pérez was performing at the popular Jet Set night club and the roof suddenly collapsed.
Officials confirmed Wednesday that Pérez's body was found in the rubble. The singer's manager, Enrique Paulino, told reporters at the scene that the roof collapsed almost an hour after the performance began, and that the group’s saxophonist was also killed, The Associated Press reported. "The loss of life leaves us in a state of profound pain and dismay," Jet Set said a statement .
"In this difficult moment, our prayers are with each of the affected families. We share their pain as if it were our own, because we are also in mourning." What caused the night club roof to collapse? It was not immediately known what caused the roof to collapse as authorities investigate the wreckage.
Who was killed in the Dominican Republic roof collapse? Pérez was among politicians, former athletes and many others who were killed in the roof collapse, according to the Dominican Republic National Police. While Pérez's brother Neifi Pérez is himself a former MLB player, he was not at the club at the time of the roof collapse, sports agent Paul Kinzer previously told USA TODAY. Kinzer said Jet Set was a popular spot for players.
But several baseball players were at the club that night, including Octavio Dotel, 51, and Tony Blanco, 43. Dotel , a Santo Domingo native who played for 13 MLB teams over 15 seasons after debuting with the New York Mets in 1999, was pulled from the rubble but died on the way to the hospital, officials said. Blanco, who was also confirmed dead in the roof collapse, appeared in 56 games for the Washington Nationals in 2005.
Nelsy Cruz, governor of the northern Monte Cristi province, also died in the collapse, according to President Luis Abinader, who visited the site Tuesday. Cruz was the sister of Nelson Cruz, a former MLB player. MLB commissioner Rob Manfred responded to the tragedy earlier this week in a statement, saying "the connection between baseball and the Dominican Republic runs deep, and we are thinking of all the Dominican players and fans across the game today.
" Eduardo Guarionex Estrella, son of the minister of public works and communications Eduardo Estrella, was also found dead, authorities said Wednesday. Are there any survivors? Families of the victims have gathered this week near the Jet Set nightclub seeking information about their loved ones as rescue teams have worked to find survivors. The latest figure indicated that at least 155 people injured were taken to medical centers for treatment, officials have said.
But as of late Wednesday night, no one had been pulled out alive in more than 24 hours, Juan Manuel Mendez, head of the country's emergency operations center, said at a press conference. "In the coming hours there will be a transition from a search and rescue phase to the recovery of the bodies phase," presidential spokesperson Homero Figueroa said in a statement. The exact number of people inside the club at the time of the collapse remained unclear.
Contributing: N'dea Yancey-Bragg , Michael Loria , USA TODAY; Reuters This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dominican Republic roof collapse update: 184 dead in Jet Set club.
