FRANCESCO SPOTORNOAFP
Rescuers raced to find survivors Tuesday among the rubble of a Dominican Republic nightclub where at least 79 people, including a prominent merengue performer and a former Major League Baseball star, were killed when the roof collapsed.
Renowned Dominican merengue singer Rubby Perez, who was on stage at the popular Jet Set nightclub when the roof caved in shortly after midnight, was one of those killed in the disaster, according to his manager.
"We are waiting for the children to reach an agreement for the funeral," Perez's manager Enrique Paulino told AFP, confirming his death.
More than 370 rescue personnel combed mounds of fallen bricks, steel bars and tin sheets for survivors.
Also among the dead was 51-year-old retired MLB pitcher Octavio Dotel, who won a World Series in 2011 with the St Louis Cardinals.
He was rescued alive but died of his injuries while being taken to the hospital, local media reported.
A black-and-white photo of the player and images of the Dominican flag were projected onto the scoreboard at Citi Field in New York before Tuesday's game between the New York Mets and the Miami Marlins.
"Peace to his soul," the Dominican Republic Professional Baseball League wrote on social media.
Local media said between 500 and 1,000 people were in the club when disaster struck shortly after 12:44 a.m. local time. The club has a capacity for 700 people seated and about 1,000 people standing.
Dozens of ambulances ferried the injured to the hospital, as scores of people gathered outside the venue, desperately seeking news of their loved ones.
According to eyewitness reports, Perez was on stage when there was a blackout, and the roof came crashing down.
Perez's daughter Zulinka told reporters she had escaped after the roof collapsed, but he did not.
Also among the dead was the governor of the Monte Cristi municipality, Nelsy Cruz, according to President Luis Abinader.
The death toll started at 15 and kept rising throughout the day. By evening, it had reached 79.
"As long as there is hope for life, all authorities will be working to recover or rescue these people," said Juan Manuel Mendez, director of the Emergency Operations Center.
President Abinader visited the scene and declared three days of national mourning.
On Tuesday, the club said it was working "fully and transparently" with authorities.
The Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti, received over 11 million visitors in 2024, according to the tourism ministry.
Tourism generates about 15 percent of the GDP, with visitors attracted by Santo Domingo's Caribbean beaches, music, and nightlife, as well as its colonial architecture.
© Agence France-Presse
