The roof of a famous nightclub in the Dominican Republic collapsed early Tuesday, killing over a hundred people, and rescuers are scrambling through the debris.
According to authorities, at least 300 people were inside the Santo Domingo capital’s Jet Set nightclub when the roof fell at around one in the morning as merengue musician Rubby Pérez and his orchestra were performing. Due to concerns that he might be one among the people killed, Pérez’s whereabouts remained unclear Tuesday night.
Emergency services said Wednesday that at least 113 people were murdered, including two former Major League Baseball players.
Earlier on Tuesday, the National Emergency System reported that the roof fall had injured over 200 individuals.
As scores of ambulances hurried the injured to the hospital Tuesday morning, families of the missing gathered at the scene and shared photos of their loved ones.
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“We continue clearing debris and searching for people,” said Juan Manuel Méndez, director of the Emergency Operations Center, on Tuesday night. “We’re going to search tirelessly for people.”
The cause of the collapse is not yet known.
Aerial footage from local news outlets on Tuesday morning showed the venue with a wide, gaping hole in the middle of the building where the audience would have been located during the performance.
Abinader has declared three days of mourning following the disaster. He traveled to the nightclub later Tuesday morning with his wife, First Lady Raquel Arbaje, to express their condolences to the victims.
“We deeply regret the tragedy that occurred at the Jet Set nightclub,” Abinader wrote on X. “All rescue agencies have provided the necessary assistance and are working tirelessly in the rescue efforts. Our prayers are with the affected families.”