At least 18 dead, 120 injured in roof collapse at Dominican Republic nightclub

• A extortion illness astatine the Jet Set nightclub successful Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, killed astatine slightest 18 and injured implicit 120 others.
• Emergency teams are inactive searching for survivors successful the rubble, with section politician Nelsy Cruz among the victims.
• The origin of the illness remains unknown, and authorities are continuing their probe portion rescue operations continue.

At slightest 18 radical died and much than 120 were injured aft a extortion fell astatine a nightclub successful the superior of the Dominican Republic aboriginal Tuesday, authorities said.

Crews were searching for imaginable survivors successful the rubble astatine Jet Set successful Santo Domingo, said Juan Manuel Méndez, manager of the Center of Emergency Operations.

"We presume that galore of them are inactive alive, and that is wherefore the authorities present volition not springiness up until not a azygous idiosyncratic remains nether that rubble," helium said.

DOZENS DEAD, MORE THAN 150 INJURED IN NORTH MACEDONIA NIGHTCLUB FIRE

Nelsy Cruz, the politician of Montecristi, was among the victims. Meanwhile, the injured see merengue vocalist Rubby Pérez, who was performing erstwhile the extortion collapsed, officials said.

His manager, Enrique Paulino, whose garment was spattered with blood, told reporters astatine the country that the performance began soon earlier midnight, with the extortion collapsing astir an hr later, sidesplitting the group's saxophonist.

"It happened truthful quickly. I managed to propulsion myself into a corner," helium said, adding that helium initially thought it was an earthquake.

Rescue workers hunt for survivors astatine the Jet Set nightclub aft its extortion collapsed during a performance successful Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, aboriginal Tuesday, April 8, 2025. (Noticias SIN via AP)

President Luis Abinader wrote connected X that each rescue agencies are "working tirelessly" to assistance those affected.

"We profoundly regret the calamity that occurred astatine the Jet Set nightclub. We person been pursuing the incidental infinitesimal by infinitesimal since it occurred," helium wrote.

MISSING AMERICAN STUDENT LINKED TO POPULAR NIGHTCLUB KNOWN FOR EXTRAVAGANT PARTIES, HOURS BEFORE DISAPPEARANCE

Abinader arrived astatine the country and hugged those looking for friends and family, immoderate with tears streaming down their faces. He did not talk to reporters.

President of the Dominican Republic Luis Abinader addresses the 78th United Nations General Assembly astatine UN office successful New York City connected September 20, 2023. (LEONARDO MUNOZ/AFP via Getty Images)

An authoritative with a megaphone stood extracurricular the nine imploring the ample assemblage that had gathered to hunt for friends and relatives to springiness ambulances space.

"You person to cooperate with authorities, please," helium said. "We are removing people."

At 1 infirmary wherever the injured were taken, an authoritative stood extracurricular speechmaking aloud the names of survivors arsenic a assemblage gathered astir her and yelled retired the names of their loved ones.

ANKARA, TURKIYE - APRIL 8: An infographic titled "Roof illness astatine Dominican Republic nightclub" created successful Ankara, Turkiye connected April 8, 2025. (Photo by Mehmet Yaren Bozgun/Anadolu via Getty Images) (Mehmet Yaren Bozgun/Anadolu via Getty Images)

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It wasn't instantly wide what caused the extortion to collapse.