Death toll in Dominican club roof collapse hits at least 184
Only a few dozen people have been identified in one of the worst disasters to hit the Caribbean nation.
The number of people killed by a collapsing roof at a nightclub in the Dominican Republic has risen to 184, as officials scramble to identify the victims.
Dozens of people lingered outside the Dominican Republic’s forensic institute late on Wednesday for news of their loved ones still missing after the incident at Jet Set nightclub.
A growing number of them donned face masks and began complaining about a bad odour as they pleaded with officials to give them information about their loved ones.
Earlier in the day, National Institute of Forensic Pathology officials read the names of 54 victims they had identified so far.
“We cannot wait until nighttime,” said one woman who was waiting for news of a relative whose name she did not hear.
Officials called for calm, saying they had already delivered at least 28 bodies to their families, but did not yet have a tally of all the bodies recovered.
“The authorities are selling us false dreams,” cried out Jose Sanchez, whose brother and brother-in-law were still missing.
So far, only a few dozen people have been identified in one of the worst disasters to hit the Dominican Republic.
Those who died include a cardiologist, a government architect, a retired police officer, a retired United Nations official, the son and daughter-in-law of the minister of public works and the brother of the vice minister of the Ministry of Youth.
Also killed was former Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher Octavio Dotel and Dominican player Tony Enrique Blanco Cabrera, Satosky Terrero, spokesperson for the country’s Professional Baseball League, told The Associated Press.
Nelsy Cruz, the governor of the northwestern province of Montecristi and sister of seven-time MLB All-Star Nelson Cruz, alerted president Luis Abinader about the disaster.
She called him from underneath the rubble, but later died at a hospital.
Other victims include saxophonist Luis Solis, who was playing onstage when the roof fell; New York-based fashion designer Martin Polanco; several Venezuelan bartenders; and an army captain who left behind four young girls.
Grupo Popular, a financial services company, said three of its employees also died, including the president of AFP Popular Bank and his wife.
One man tearfully told reporters that he lost five relatives, including his wife and son.
Dozens of victims remained unidentified.
“I have been to many hospitals, and I have not found her,” Deysi Suriel said of her friend, 61-year-old Milca Curiel, a North Carolina resident who was on vacation in the Dominican Republic.
Health minister Dr Victor Elias Atallah Lajam announced the creation of a commission to provide psychological help for the victims’ families.
More than 20 of the injured remained in hospital on Wednesday, including at least eight in critical condition.
It was not immediately clear what caused the roof to collapse, or when the Jet Set building was last inspected.
The club issued a statement saying it was cooperating with authorities.
A spokesperson for the family that owns the club told The Associated Press that she passed along questions about potential inspections.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Public Works referred questions to the mayor’s office. A spokesperson for the mayor’s office did not respond to a request for comment.
