The death toll from the collapse of a popular nightclub in Santo Domingo has risen to 124, as desperate families continue to wait for news and rescue workers race against time to search for survivors.
A devastating roof collapse on Tuesday at a popular nightclub in the capital of the Dominican Republic has now claimed at least 124 lives, authorities said on Wednesday, as the search for survivors turns increasingly grim.
Throughout the night on Wednesday, families waited outside the wreckage of the Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo, anxious for information about their missing relatives and sharing photos with police.
More than 150 people were rescued from the rubble on Tuesday. Since that afternoon, however, authorities have not pulled out any survivors.
Juan Manuel Mendez, head of the country's emergency operations center, said rescue workers expected to need another 24 to 36 hours to complete their search. Emergency crews deployed heavy machinery to expedite recovery efforts.
The tragedy unfolded during a concert by popular Dominican merengue singer Rubby Perez. The event, which had drawn politicians, athletes and other prominent figures, turned into a nightmare after midnight as the roof suddenly collapsed.
Perez was one of the victims. His body was recovered on Wednesday morning.
Pitcher Octavio Dotel and slugger Tony Blanco, both former Major League Baseball players, were also killed.
Another victim was Nelsy Cruz, governor of the northern Monte Cristi province, President Luis Abinader said. Cruz was the sister of former MLB player Nelson Cruz, a seven-time All-Star.
The son of the public works and communications minister also died in the disaster.
Read next
18:30
AI-powered blood test
A highly accurate blood test that uses artificial intelligence to detect multiple cancers from just a few drops of blood is now entering clinical trials across the UK’s National Health Service.
15:51
Earthquakes
A magnitude-6.3 earthquake jolted Ecuador’s Pacific coast near Esmeraldas early Friday, sending residents into the streets but causing no immediate damage or tsunami alert, according to the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre.
15:26
Trump
In an expansive interview marking his first 100 days back in office, President Donald Trump sketched out an agenda that touches everything from punitive tariffs and China policy to cease-fire hopes in Ukraine and an overhaul of domestic programmes. Below are the highlights.
14:53
U.S.- China trade
U.S. President Donald Trump told *Time* on Friday that he and China’s Xi Jinping are negotiating a tariff deal and have spoken by phone—an account Beijing continues to challenge.
14:32
A top envoy from President Donald Trump’s administration arrived in Moscow for talks with President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, just hours after a high-ranking Russian general was assassinated in a rare car bomb attack in the capital.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment