The ceiling collapsed during a concert at the famous Jet Set club in the Dominican Republic on Monday, as families waited for news of their loved ones outside the wreckage
The horror Dominican Republic nightclub collapse has seen its death toll rise to 184 as the hopes of finding survivors looks increasingly bleak. The ceiling collapsed during a concert at the famous Jet Set club in the Dominican Republic on Monday, as families waited for news of their loved ones outside the wreckage. The government said last night that it was moving to a recovery phase focused on finding bodies. However, no one has been found alive since Tuesday afternoon. “We’re not going to abandon anyone. Our work will continue,” Juan Manuel Méndez, director of the Centre of Emergency Operations, said.
Doctors warned that some of the patients who remained hospitalised were still not in the clear, especially the eight who were in critical condition. “If the trauma is too great, there’s not a lot of time” left to save patients in that condition, said Health Minister Dr. Víctor Atallah. More than 200 were injured in the nightclub and injuries included fractures in the pelvis, skull and femur after slabs of cement fell on those attending a merengue concert at the Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo.
Randolfo Rijo Gómez, director of the country’s 911 system, said it received more than 100 calls, with several of those made by people buried under the rubble. He noted that police arrived at the scene in 90 seconds, followed minutes later by first response units. In less than half an hour, 25 soldiers, seven fire brigades and 77 ambulances were activated, he said. Crews used dogs and thermal cameras to search for victims, rescuing 145 survivors from the rubble, authorities said.
An in-depth investigation into the collapse is expected. Authorities have not released any preliminary findings or commented on what might have caused the roof to fall.
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