The death toll from the roof collapse at a packed nightclub in Santo Domingo has risen to 221, officials said on Thursday, as recovery efforts near completion and families begin to mourn.
The Jet Set club, a popular venue in the Dominican capital, was hosting a concert by merengue singer Rubby Perez late Tuesday when the roof gave way without warning. Emergency crews have been working nonstop ever since.
“This is the hardest task I've had in my 20 years of leading the COE,” said Juan Manuel Mendez, head of the country’s emergency operations center, as he confirmed that Thursday would mark the final day of search and recovery.
Nearly 200 people were rescued from the rubble on the first night, but no new survivors have been found since. Heavy machinery continued clearing debris as crews combed through the last section of the collapsed building.
Perez, the headliner of the event, was among those killed. President Luis Abinader attended his funeral on Thursday, with a public memorial scheduled later in the day.
The victims also include former Major League Baseball players Octavio Dotel and Tony Blanco, along with local politicians and well-known public figures who had come out for the concert.
Outside the wreckage, families of the missing waited quietly, holding photos and hoping for news.
Once the recovery operation ends, the government said it will launch a full investigation into the cause of the collapse.
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