Dominican Republic mourns 218 dead in nightclub collapse, no survivors found

Dominican rescue workers ended survivor search efforts Wednesday at the collapsed nightclub in Santo Domingo, focusing instead on recovering bodies from the rubble, following the incident that left 218 dead.

Authorities ruled out the possibility of finding survivors as relatives gathered at the morgue seeking information. A list of victims' names was displayed on a canvas tent next to where the bodies were being moved.

The government announced it will launch an investigation into the collapse of the Jet Set nightclub, which occurred on Tuesday, April 8, during a concert by the popular merengue singer Rubby Pérez, who also died in the incident, once the search for additional bodies in the rubble is completed. 

At the last press conference of the day, Operations Chief Juan Manuel Mendez updated the death toll to 218, having previously reported the extraction of 20 bodies.

He said that rescuers will not leave the site as long as "there is a family member claiming a victim."

"Anguish and pain"

From the air, the structure shows a large hole where the roof collapsed.

Over 300 rescuers have been working through the rubble of bricks, zinc sheets, and steel bars from the nightclub. A construction crane aided in removing blocks, and hydraulic hammers were also used.

The authorities reported that they exhausted "all reasonable possibilities of finding more survivors" and the operation will now focus on recovering bodies. 

Two dogs are assisting in detecting human remains among the ruins.

Mercedes Lopez has a missing son. She told AFP she felt "anguish and a lot of pain." "We haven't found him in the lists or even in the hospitals," she said as she went to the tent in search of information.

The number of wounded remains at 150 remains since Tuesday.

"My sister is in intensive care, very delicate," said Juan Francisco Rosario. "I also have a nephew in delicate condition, her son, and a niece who died as a result of the collapse that we have not yet received the body."

The first foreign victim was also confirmed: U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reported on X that at least one U.S. citizen had died.

Pope Francis also sent his condolences to the families of the victims.

Voice of merengue

There is no official count of the attendees at Rubby Pérez’s concert, one of the most iconic voices of merengue, known for hits like "Volveré", "Enamorado de Ella" and "Buscando tus besos."

The nightclub had a capacity of 700 seated and about 1,000 standing. Méndez confirmed that the singer’s body was recovered early in the morning, and the government will pay tribute to him at the National Theater on Thursday.

The governor of Monte Cristi province, Nelsy Cruz, also died in the incident, along with former Major League Baseball players Octavio Dotel and Tony Blanco.

This is one of the country’s biggest tragedies. In 2023, 38 people died in an explosion in San Cristóbal, just half an hour from Santo Domingo. Two decades earlier, 136 inmates perished in a prison fire in Higüey, to the east.