Santo Domingo, Apr 9 (EFE).- The death toll in the collapse of a roof at a well-known nightclub in Santo Domingo increased to 113 while the search and rescue operations continued, according to the Emergency Operations Center (COE).
The incident occurred early Tuesday at the Jet Set nightclub during the performance of merengue artist Rubby Perez, whose body was recovered earlier in the day, according to statements by COE Director Juan Manuel Mendez.
Until 3pm local time Tuesday, some 145 people had been rescued.
Neither the authorities nor the nightclub owners have reported the exact number of people who were there at the time of the accident.
Dominican President Luis Abinader decreed three days of official mourning (Apr. 8, 9, and 10), so these days the national flag will fly at half-mast in military premises and public buildings throughout the country. EFE
Rescue teams continued their work under powerful floodlights installed for this purpose, while cranes and various machinery worked to clear debris. All of this was done with the goal of searching for survivors among the remains of the nightclub. According to Emergency Operations Center Director Juan Manuel Mendez, the task will be continuous.
Mendez said the search will continue as long as relatives of those who were at Jet Set report that someone is missing. This incident occurred at about 1am local time (5am GMT) during a party hosted by merengue singer Rubby Perez.
Meanwhile, relatives remain at the scene, awaiting information from their loved ones, with increasing nervousness and despair.
Others are at the doors of various public and private health centers, where 155 people have been transferred, so the number of injured is at least that high. They are also waiting for information from the Institute of Forensic Pathology.
Twenty state institutions, under the coordination of the center, are working in a coordinated manner and in shifts, using heavy machinery, rescue technology, and highly trained personnel in efforts that also included specialized canine assistance to facilitate searches in hard-to-reach areas.
Dozens of ambulances were deployed to the area, and more than 300 people participated in the efforts, including units from the center, the police, the National Emergency and Security Response System 9-1-1, the fire department, civil defense and the defense ministry, among others.
Dominican President Luis Abinader has decreed three days of official mourning until Thursday, during which flags will fly at half-staff on military precincts and public buildings throughout the country.
Abinader and many of the government and official institutions have been at the scene of the incident since the early hours, and some authorities were still there, even though it was already late at night.
During this difficult day, solidarity has been palpable, with people donating blood or going to offer to workers at the scene of the incident or to the relatives of the victims.
The governments of El Salvador, Panama, and Cuba have also expressed their condolences for the tragedy and their solidarity with the Dominican people.
Reports continue to emerge, many of them without official confirmation, such as the fate of singer Rubby Perez, about whom the center simply states that there is no forensic identification.
The fate of designer Martín Polanco is also unknown.
The death of the governor of the province of Montecristi, Nelsy Milagro Cruz Martinez, among others, has been confirmed.
Former MLB pitcher Octavio Dotel, who was rescued alive but died from his injuries, and former Major League Baseball player Tony Blanco also died. EFE
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