Juan Manuel Méndez, director of the Center of Emergency Operations, said crews were searching the rubble at Jet Set in Santo Domingo for potential survivors.
“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,” he said.
According to the country’s national police service, the roof caved in at midnight on Tuesday.
As of 5 a.m., 46 people had been rescued, police said.
Merengue singer Rubby Pérez, who was performing when the roof collapsed, is among the injured, according to officials.
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Pérez’s manager, Enrique Paulino, whose shirt was spattered with blood, told reporters at the scene that the concert began shortly before midnight, with the roof collapsing almost an hour later, killing the group’s saxophonist.
“It happened so quickly. I managed to throw myself into a corner,” he said, adding that he initially thought it was an earthquake.
President Luis Abinder wrote on X that rescue crews were “working tirelessly” to help the victims.
“We deeply regret the tragedy that occurred at the Jet Set nightclub. We have been following the incident minute by minute since it occurred,” he said.
According to The Associated Press, an official stood outside a hospital where victims were being treated, calling the names of survivors to a crowd searching for their loved ones.
The cause of the roof collapse is under investigation.
Global News has reached out to Global Affairs Canada to find out if any Canadians were impacted by the collapse.
— With files from The Associated Press
© 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
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