The death toll from a roofing collapse at a well-known nightclub in the Dominican Republic climbed to 218 on Thursday, according to an official statement.
Juan Manuel Méndez, who leads the Center of Emergency Operations, stated that teams present at the location continue their search for victims and possible survivors; however, nobody has been located alive since Tuesday afternoon.
We have essentially searched every inch around ground zero," he stated, noting that only a tiny section of debris remains where teams are concentrating their efforts. "This whole situation has been extremely challenging for everyone involved.
At the same time, numerous individuals in Santo Domingo’s capital continued to search for their missing relatives, becoming increasingly exasperated as they received no responses after checking various hospitals and the nation's forensics institution.
Physicians cautioned that out of the two dozen patients still admitted to the hospital, some were not yet out of danger, particularly the eight individuals whose conditions were deemed critical.
"If the injuries are severe, there isn’t much time" remaining to rescue patients in such critical condition, stated Health Minister Víctor Atallah.
He and several other medical professionals stated that the victims suffered from fractures in their skulls, thigh bones, and pelvic regions due to concrete panels collapsing onto attendees of a merengue performance at the Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo, resulting in over 200 people being hurt.
On Wednesday evening, the government announced that they were transitioning to a recovery stage aimed at locating victims.
The iconic nightclub was filled with musicians, pro athletes, and government officials when debris started raining down onto their beverages early Tuesday. Shortly after, the rooftop caved in.
The victims encompassed merengue star Rubby Pérez, who was performing for the audience when the ceiling collapsed; ex-MLB athletes Octavio Dotel and Tony Enrique Blanco Cabrera; as well as Nelsy Cruz, the governor of Montecristi, located in the northwest part of the country, with his sibling being the renowned seven-time MLB All-Star Nelson Cruz.
Among those who lost their lives were a former UN official; Luis Solís, the saxophonist performing when the ceiling collapsed; New York City-based fashion designer Martín Polanco; the son-in-law and daughter of the public works minister; the sibling of the deputy minister for youth affairs; along with three workers from Grupo Popular, a financial institution, which included the head of AFP Popular Bank alongside his spouse.
Randolfo Rijo Gómez, who leads the nation’s 911 service, mentioned that they fielded over 100 emergency calls, including some from individuals trapped beneath debris. According to him, law enforcement personnel reached the location within 90 seconds, quickly followed by initial responders. Within approximately thirty minutes, the efforts included deploying 25 troops, seven firefighting teams, and mobilizing 77 ambulance services, as stated by him.
Authorities stated that teams utilized canines and thermal imaging devices to locate individuals, successfully saving over 180 survivors from the debris.
Initially, it was not evident what led to the roof collapsing, nor did it seem known when the Jet Set building had its most recent inspection.
The authorities announced late Wednesday that after the conclusion of the recovery stage, they would initiate an extensive inquiry.
The club released a statement indicating their cooperation with law enforcement officials. A representative of the family who owns the club informed The Associated Press that they were relaying inquiries concerning possible inspections.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Public Works referred questions to the mayor’s office. A spokesperson for the mayor’s office did not respond to a request for comment.
READ MORE: The death toll from a rooftop collapse at a nightclub in the Dominican Republic has risen to 218.
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