Dominican Republican nightclub collapse kills at least 124

SANTO DOMINGO >> A devastating roof collapse on Tuesday at a popular nightclub in the capital of the Dominican Republic killed at least 124, authorities said today, as the search for survivors turns increasingly grim.

Throughout the night, families waited outside the wreckage of the Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo, anxious for information about their missing relatives and sharing photos with police.

More than 150 people were rescued from the rubble on Tuesday. Since that afternoon, however, authorities have not pulled out any survivors.

Juan Manuel Mendez, head of the country’s emergency operations center, said rescue workers expected to need another 24 to 36 hours to complete their search. Emergency crews deployed heavy machinery to expedite recovery efforts.

The tragedy unfolded during a concert by popular Dominican merengue singer Rubby Perez. The event, which had drawn politicians, athletes and other prominent figures, turned into a nightmare after midnight as the roof suddenly collapsed.

Perez was one of the victims. His body was recovered on Wednesday morning.

Pitcher Octavio Dotel and slugger Tony Blanco, both former Major League Baseball players, were also killed. Dotel was alive when rescue crews located him and at least seven others, but authorities said Tuesday evening that he was declared dead upon arrival at a hospital..

Another victim was Nelsy Cruz, governor of the northern Monte Cristi province, President Luis Abinader said. Cruz was the sister of former MLB player Nelson Cruz, a seven-time All-Star.

The son of the public works and communications minister also died in the disaster.

MLB Hall of Fame pitcher and current baseball analyst Pedro Martinez announced over social media that several of his family members were inside the nightclub that collapsed in the Dominican Republic.

“I still have family members that are still in the (rubble) and we don’t know what happened to them,” Martinez said in a video posted to Instagram.

Martinez, a three-time Cy Young Award winner and eight-time All-Star, grew up in a suburb of Santo Domingo.

“It is with a heavy heart that it is my turn to actually send condolences to all our family members and the people here in the United States who have family over there,” he said in the video.v”We’re all sad, we’re all affected by the tragedy. Our hearts are with you. We all are affected.”