At least 44 people have died and more than 160 were injured after the roof of Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo, one of the Dominican Republic's most iconic venues, collapsed early Tuesday during a packed merengue concert. Rescue teams continued searching the rubble late into the day, with officials estimating as many as 100 people could have been trapped at the time of the collapse.
The one-story structure gave way just before 1 a.m. local time while merengue singer Rubby Pérez was performing. Video captured from inside the venue shows the roof giving way seconds after concertgoers noticed falling debris. Screams erupted as lights fell and the structure caved in. The cause of the collapse remains under investigation.
Juan Manuel Méndez, director of the Emergency Operations Center, confirmed the rising death toll and said, "We presume that many of them are still alive, and that is why the authorities here will not give up until not a single person remains under that rubble." More than 146 individuals have been pulled out alive from the debris, he added, and over 150 ambulances have been dispatched to transport victims.
Among the deceased is Nelsy Cruz, governor of the Montecristi province and sister of seven-time MLB All-Star Nelson Cruz. According to First Lady Raquel Arbaje, she called President Luis Abinader at 12:49 a.m. to report she was trapped before succumbing to her injuries in the hospital. "This is too great a tragedy," Arbaje said, visibly emotional.
The injured include former MLB pitcher and World Series champion Octavio Dotel, legislator Bray Vargas, and singer Rubby Pérez, whose saxophonist was killed in the collapse. Pérez's manager Enrique Paulino told reporters, "It happened so quickly. I managed to throw myself into a corner," initially believing it was an earthquake.
Outside the nightclub, families of the missing gathered in anguish. "We're holding on only to God," said Manuel Olivo Ortiz, whose son was at the concert and has not returned home. Another woman, Massiel Cuevas, waited for word on her goddaughter, 22-year-old Darlenys Batista. "I'm waiting for her. She's in there, I know she's in there," she said.
President Abinader declared three days of national mourning and visited the site with the First Lady. "We deeply regret the tragedy that occurred at the Jet Set nightclub," Abinader posted on X. "We have been following the incident minute by minute since it occurred." Speaking to reporters at the scene, he added, "We have faith in God that we will rescue even more people alive."
Authorities from 22 government agencies joined the rescue operation, as emergency personnel continued clearing concrete and sawing through collapsed beams. At hospitals across the capital, names of survivors were read aloud to anxious crowds, while photos of the deceased were projected at the National Institute of Forensic Pathology for identification.
Jet Set, known for its vibrant Monday night concerts and celebrity attendees, issued a statement saying it is cooperating with authorities. "The loss of human life leaves us in a state of deep pain and dismay," the venue said.
