Dominican Republic Nightclub Roof Collapse: At Least 13 Killed

At least 15 people were killed and dozens injured when the roof of a nightclub collapsed early Tuesday in the Dominican Republic, according to emergency management officials.

In a series of social media posts, the authorities said rescuers made 101 ambulance rides to hospitals after the roof collapsed at the Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo, the capital.

But so many people were injured that ambulances initially had to carry two or three to the hospital at a time, meaning more than 100 people were injured, Juan Manuel Méndez, the director of the Emergency Operations Center, said in an Instagram video shared by the national police.

“We are taking out the people we can rescue alive,” Mr. Méndez said. “You can hear people asking to be helped.”

Search and rescue operations were continuing, the authorities said shortly before 7 a.m.

Rubby Pérez, a merengue singer, was scheduled to perform at the club on Monday night, according to Jet Set’s Instagram account.

Videos circulating on social media and verified by The New York Times showed Mr. Pérez performing to a group of revelers. The camera began shaking and people started screaming as a large chandelier dropped from the ceiling. Another video, filmed in the aftermath and also verified by The Times, captured the extensive destruction, revealing that almost the entire ceiling had collapsed, with rubble covering the stage and dance floor as rescuers searched the wreckage.

When asked at a news briefing about the condition of Mr. Pérez, the authorities said they were still trying to collect information on those injured.

“Our city wakes up to a terrible tragedy,” Carolina Mejía de Garrigó, the mayor of Santo Domingo, wrote on social media, extending her condolences to families affected by the tragedy.

Jet Set, which has been open for more than 45 years, is one of the most famous clubs in the Dominican Republic. It is especially well known for its Monday shows, a staple of live music in the city.

Nader Ibrahim contributed reporting from London.