Rescue teams have concluded their operations at the Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo, capital of Dominican Republic, after the building's roof collapsed early Tuesday, killing more than 220 people, with nearly 200 survivors pulled from the rubble in the initial hours.
The tragic collapse occurred shortly after midnight on Tuesday during a concert attended by politicians, athletes, and other prominent figures. Recovery efforts, which intensified overnight, revealed numerous victims, the majority of whom were female. The identification process is ongoing as families await answers.
"Yeah, I know my sister. And we find out about 6 o'clock in the morning watching TV. And we found out what had happened. We knew that she loved that discotheque. She's always there, almost every Monday she was there. Nothing, we saw, you know, the enormous amount of debris, whatever it is. We knew that that was big," said Ismael Matias, a family member of one of the victims.
The roof collapsed while famed merengue artist Rubby Perez was performing, and he was also among those killed. His funeral, attended by President Luis Abinader and Latin music icon Juan Luis Guerra, took place on Thursday.
By Thursday afternoon, the Dominican Republic's Director of Emergency Operations confirmed that all recovery efforts had concluded, and the site was handed over to authorities for investigation.
Rescue operations end as Santo Domingo nightclub collapse death toll exceeds 220
Rescue operations end as Santo Domingo nightclub collapse death toll exceeds 220
Rescue operations end at Santo Domingo nightclub collapse, toll exceeds 220
