China has expressed sincere condolences and deeply mourns the victims of the nightclub collapse in the Dominican Republic nearly a week ago, said Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian at a press briefing in Beijing on Tuesday.
Lin informed the press in response to a media query about the incident, as the Dominican Minister of Interior and Police said on Monday that the death toll of the Jet Set nightclub roof collapse already rose to 231. "China has extended sincere condolences to many parties. We deeply mourn the victims, and send our sincerely sympathy to their families and the injured, and wholeheartedly wish the injured an early recovery," said Lin.
The collapse occurred in the early hours of the morning during a live music event.
Jet Set is a well-known nightclub in Santo Domingo and often hosts live performances during the week. On the night of the collapse, popular Dominican jazz and merengue artist Rubby Perez was scheduled to perform.
China mourns victims of Dominican nightclub collapse: spokesman
Multiple states across Brazil have been gripped by an intense heatwave in recent days, prompting local authorities to issue weather alerts and urging residents to take precautions, with the high temperatures forecast to continue.
Southeastern states including Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and Minas Gerais have been experiencing the most extreme heat, with temperatures climbing to a sweltering high of 40.8 degrees Celsius in Rio de Janeiro on Monday.
Authorities across the country have been sending out weather warnings, with residents being advised to avoid prolonged outdoor activities and medics reminding people to take measures to ensure they stay hydrated.
"[You have to] drink plenty of water, use a fan. There is not much you can do to escape it, really. It is absurdly hot," said Ana Flavia, a local resident in Sao Paulo.
"With this change in temperature and the excessive heat, we see a lot of cases of dehydration," said Tiago Foliate Pitirilo, a doctor from the city's Hospital Sao Camilo.
The sweltering heat may be around for a while more, according to experts, who say higher water temperatures in the Pacific Ocean mean Brazil is likely to face more frequent heatwaves this year.
"The ocean forecast indicates that in the second half of the year we will have a warmer Pacific Ocean. This allows us to infer that the number of heat waves in 2026 may be higher than last year, when the Pacific Ocean was cooler," said Marecelo Seluchi, a meteorologist from Brazil's National Center for Monitoring and Alerts for Natural Disasters (CEMADEN).
Brazil in midst of heatwave with more extreme temperatures expected
