Jet Set nightclub tragedy: Roof collapse kills nearly 100 in Dominican Republic

• Octavio Dotel and Rubby Pérez are among nearly 100 dead after a nightclub roof collapse.
• Over 160 were injured; rescue operations continue with 400 people searching for survivors.
• President Luis Abinader visited the scene, stating rescue agencies are “working tirelessly” to help.

A former World Series winner is among those known to have died after a roof collapsed at a nightclub in the Dominican Republic.

Octavio Dotel, a 51-year-old former Major League Baseball pitcher, was pulled from the debris of the Jet Set nightclub in Santa Domingo, but died from his injuries on his way to hospital, according to reports.

Nearly 100 people were killed and more than 160 injured when the roof collapsed on Tuesday morning (local time).

Hundreds of fans had gathered at the venue for a concert by Rubby Pérez, a popular Dominican merengue singer.

A rescue operation is still ongoing with over 400 people searching for survivors.

At least 100 people are dead after the roof collapsed at a popular nightclub.

Juan Manuel Méndez, the director of the Emergency Operations Centre, said his crews were hopeful that many of those buried under the roof were still alive.

“We’re going to search tirelessly for people,” he said.

Perez was among those killed in the collapse, his manager said, as well as a provincial governor.

Enrique Paulino told reporters that the concert began shortly before midnight, with the roof collapsing almost an hour later.

“It happened so quickly. I managed to throw myself into a corner,” he said, adding that he initially thought it was an earthquake.

Jet Set was a popular nightclub in the country’s capital that regularly hosted live dance music concerts on Monday evenings.

‘Something fell from the ceiling’

Video footage thought to be taken inside the club shows people sitting at tables in front of the stage and dancing to the music while Pérez sings.

In a separate clip shared on social media, a man standing next to the stage can be heard saying “something fell from the ceiling”, while pointing towards the roof.

Pérez also appears to look towards the same area.

Less than 30 seconds later, a noise can be heard and the recording goes black while a woman is heard shouting: “Dad, what’s happened to you?”

The club said it was co-operating with authorities.

Antonio Espaillat, the club owner who was out of the country at the time of the tragedy, said: “There are no words to express the pain this event has caused. What happened has been devastating for everyone.”

Luis Abinader, the country’s President, visited the scene to offer his support to friends and family looking for their loved ones.

He wrote on X that all rescue agencies are “working tirelessly” to help those affected.

“We deeply regret the tragedy that occurred at the Jet Set nightclub,” he said.

“We have been following the incident minute by minute since it occurred.”