The catastrophic roof collapse at the Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo in the early morning hours of April 8 has claimed the lives of over 200 people, Dominican authorities announced on the following day, as the agonizing search for survivors transitioned to the grim task of recovering bodies.
Juan Manuel Méndez, the director general of the Emergency Operations Center (COE), delivered the somber update at a press conference, conveying “great regret and pain” at the escalating death toll. He extended condolences to the families of the victims, offering a “virtual hug” during their time of immense grief.
Méndez affirmed that rescue teams would remain at the disaster site until every possibility of finding a missing loved one had been exhausted. His statement came hours after a government release that some had misinterpreted as signaling the end of the search efforts.
“It would be an incentive for us if we could find someone with vital signs under the rubble, but since yesterday at three in the afternoon, we have not rescued anyone alive,” Méndez lamented, underscoring the increasingly bleak prospects of finding more survivors.
The Ministry of the Interior and Police announced that the next official update on the death toll and related information would be provided at 6:00 a.m. local time April 10.
Earlier reports had offered a glimmer of hope, with Pérez’s family stating he had been transported to a local hospital after paramedics reportedly found him in the rubble. Graphic video footage revealed Pérez was in the middle of performing when the roof collapsed. A man could be heard speaking off-camera about debris he witnessed falling from Jet Set’s ceiling right before the incident unfolded.
His daughter, Zulinka Pérez, told the press, “We hope to God that he recovers soon… He’s injured, but he’s hospitalized; they found him singing. He started singing so they could hear him.”
The “Tú Vas A Volar” cantante was later transferred to the Plaza de la Salud hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. The Ministry of Culture announced that his funeral would be held today.
The devastating roof collapse also claimed the lives of former Major League Baseball players Octavio Dotel, 51, and Tony Blanco, 44, both beloved figures in the Dominican Republic. Fashion designer Martín Polanco and the governor of Montecristi province, Delsy Cruz, the sister of seven-time MLB All-Star Nelson Cruz, were also among the victims.
The government reported that the decision to transition to the body recovery phase was based on the findings and conditions observed by the more than 300 first responders who have been tirelessly working at the scene. After exhausting all reasonable possibilities of finding more survivors, the focus has shifted to the “recovery of human remains with the due respect and dignity that each victim deserves.”
Méndez noted the emotional toll of the tragedy, stating that some relatives collapsed upon learning of their loved ones’ deaths and required treatment in ambulances, inadvertently fueling earlier, unfounded rumors of new survivors being found.
President Luis Abinader declared three days of national mourning from Monday to Wednesday in response to the immense loss. Public festive activities were suspended, and the national flag flew at half-mast on all public buildings.
Numerous governments and international organizations have expressed solidarity with the Dominican Republic during this period of profound grief.
Lamentamos profundamente el fallecimiento del ex Grandes Ligas, Tony Blanco. Su legado quedará en la historia del béisbol nacional.
Acompañamos en su dolor a sus familiares, amigos y compañeros, y elevamos nuestras oraciones por su eterno descanso.
Paz a su alma
pic.twitter.com/InZbetrpDV
— Ministerio Deportes (@miderec_rd) April 8, 2025
Major League Baseball Commissioner Robert Manfred Jr. expressed the league’s deep sadness at the passings of Dotel, Blanco, and Cruz, acknowledging the deep connection between baseball and the Dominican Republic.
Commissioner Manfred issued the following statement today regarding the
passings of Octavio Dotel, Tony Blanco, and Nelsy Cruz in Tuesday morning’s tragedy in Santo Domingo: pic.twitter.com/hzEgQeLO0t— MLB Communications (@MLB_PR) April 8, 2025
We are deeply saddened by the sudden and tragic death of former Major Leaguer Tony Blanco in Tuesday’s tragedy in the Dominican Republic’s capital city of Santo Domingo.
Blanco played in 56 games for the inaugural Washington Nationals team in 2005, including the first game in… pic.twitter.com/14BWiXY7Os
— MLB (@MLB) April 8, 2025
Pedro Martinez, a Dominican American Hall of Fame pitcher, revealed that he had family members who were initially unaccounted for at the nightclub. In a video posted to social media, Martinez conveyed the nation’s collective sorrow and resilience, stating in the following translated message.
“We’re all sad. We’re all affected by the tragedy. We’re a country that prays a lot and remains united all the time.”
Eyewitness accounts painted a picture of a joyous Monday night turned into unimaginable horror. Máximo Peña, a devoted father who faithfully frequented Jet Set every Monday night for 30 years, had invited his wife to see Rubby Pérez perform. She ended up not going, and it saved her life. His 17-year-old daughter, Shailyn Peña, spoke of the agonizing wait for information, highlighting the desperate hope that lingered even as the chances of finding survivors, specifically her dad, dwindled.
“I feel the urge to just go in there and push aside all the rocks and pull him out. But as much as I want to, I really can’t. I just have to sit here and wait it out,” she said Wednesday afternoon, as rescue workers meticulously combed through the debris.
International assistance arrived in the form of search teams from Israel and Mexico, utilizing sophisticated heat-seeking equipment in a final push to locate any remaining survivors. However, by Wednesday evening, authorities concluded that the conditions at the site made further live rescues highly improbable.
In a touching display of solidarity, 12 Puerto Rican Fire Brigade firefighters went to Santo Domingo to aid in recovery and rescue efforts.
Following the tragedy at Jet Set, the club wrote a statement in Spanish.
“Last night, a tragedy struck a deep note in the hearts of all of us who are part of Jet Set and all Dominicans. The loss of life leaves us in a state of profound pain and dismay. In this difficult time, our prayers are with each of the affected families. We share their pain as if it were our own, because we are also in mourning. We are collaborating fully and transparently with the relevant authorities to assist the victims and clarify what happened.”
The IG post continued, “From the very beginning, we have activated all possible mechanisms to provide support to those affected. Additionally, we inform you that renowned journalist María Elena Núñez has agreed to be our official spokesperson during this difficult time. From now on, she will be the one to provide clear, responsible, and constant information to the public and the media. We join in solidarity from across the country in this unexpectedly painful situation.
With respect and deep regret,
The Jet Set Family”
The focus now remains on the solemn and painstaking process of recovering the bodies of the deceased, providing closure for grieving families, and allowing the Dominican Republic to begin to process the scale of what’s happened. Our prayers go out to all those affected by this devastating tragedy at Jet Set.
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