By Enyichukwu Enemanna
At least 27 people have been killed, including a provincial governor, while 134 were injured in the early hours of Tuesday following the collapse of a nightclub roof in the Dominican capital, Santo Domingo, authorities said.
The governor of the northern Montecristi province, Nelsy Cruz, was among those who have died.
Rescue workers have been searching for survivors in the rubble of the Jet Set club, director of the Centre of Emergency Operations, Juan Manuel Mendez, said.
There were 134 ambulance transfers to different hospitals, which Mr Mendez said could be the equivalent of 150 to 160 patients.
He added that many people were still expected to be alive, adding that authorities “will not give up until not a single person remains under that rubble”.
The cause of the roof collapse was yet to be ascertained.
Among the injured is Dominican singer Rubby Perez, who was performing when the roof collapsed.
His manager, Enrique Paulino, whose shirt was spattered with blood, told reporters at the scene that the concert began shortly before midnight, with the roof collapsing almost an hour later, killing the group’s saxophonist.
Mr Paulino said: “It happened so quickly. I managed to throw myself into a corner.”
He added that he initially thought there had been an earthquake.
Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader wrote on X: “We deeply regret the tragedy that occurred at the Jet Set nightclub. We have been following the incident minute by minute since it occurred. All relief agencies have provided the necessary assistance and are working tirelessly in the rescue efforts. Our prayers are with the affected families.”
Mr Abinader arrived at the scene and hugged those looking for friends and family, some with tears streaming down their faces.
