The Dominican Republic authorities have said 221 people were killed when the roof of the iconic Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo collapsed on Tuesday. This came as rescue efforts and operations ended after the search for the bodies of the victims.
Juan Manuel Mendez, director of the country’s Emergency Operations Center, confirmed the latest death toll on Thursday.
“Today, we conclude the most difficult work in my 20 years as the head of the EOC,” Mr Mendez said.
An additional 189 people were also rescued from the rubble of the collapsed nightclub.
On Tuesday, the collapsed building occurred when hundreds of guests were inside the venue attending a concert by popular merengue singer Rubby Pérez.
Aside from Mr Pérez, others among the casualties are a provincial governor and the president of one of the country’s most important banks, as well as the right-handed baseball pitcher Octavio Dotel.
Scores of family members have been showing up at the site of the tragedy, hoping to find their missing loved ones since the collapsed nightclub occurred.
Homeroom Figueroa, the director of strategy and government communication, said officials have been moving to the phase of “understanding and explaining what happened without being quick to judge.”
According to him, the National Office for Seismic Assessment and Vulnerability of Infrastructure and Buildings will oversee a team of national and international experts to conduct a “technical study to understand with precision what happened” and “determine steps to follow in the area of justice.”
