Source: CNN
At least 300 people were inside Jet Set nightclub, in the capital of Santo Domingo, when the roof collapsed around 1 a.m. during a performance of merengue artist Rubby Pérez and his orchestra, authorities said. Pérez’s whereabouts were unknown Tuesday evening amid fears he could be among those killed.
At least 98 people, including two former Major League Baseball players, were killed, the Associated Press reported on Tuesday, citing local authorities. At least 223 people were injured in the roof collapse, according to the National Emergency System.
Families of the missing gathered at the scene and shared pictures of their loved ones Tuesday morning as dozens of ambulances rushed the injured to hospital.
“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.
