Death Toll in Dominican Nightclub Roof Collapse Rises to 226

The tragedy struck early Tuesday at the Jet Set Club in Santo Domingo, where hundreds had gathered to enjoy a performance by beloved merengue singer Rubby Pérez. The 69-year-old artist was among the 221 people killed instantly inside the venue. Four more victims later succumbed to injuries in the hospital, with another fatality reported Saturday — a Costa Rican citizen — bringing the confirmed toll to 226.

Health Minister Victor Atallah, who delivered the grim update, noted that several survivors remain in critical condition with severe burns. “Some are still fighting for their lives,” he said.

The collapse marks the worst disaster in the Caribbean nation in decades, surpassing the 2005 Higuey prison fire that killed 136 inmates.

President Luis Abinader attended Pérez's funeral Thursday at the National Theater, standing alongside the singer’s daughter, Zulinka, who survived the tragedy. The president's office also confirmed that 189 people had been rescued from the rubble, now a tangle of twisted metal and crumbled concrete. Aerial footage of the site resembles the aftermath of an earthquake.

A Nation in Mourning

An impromptu vigil unfolded Friday night near the ruins of the club. Dozens gathered in solemn remembrance, lighting candles and leaving tributes at a makeshift altar adorned with painted flowers and a sign reading: “A painted flower for each angel up above. May their rest be eternal… This great injustice must be explained.”

Arlenne Matos, 47, who lives nearby, recalled hearing a deafening sound that night — “like an explosion or an earthquake” — followed by desperate cries.

“People were shouting, ‘Let’s get out of here! I’m alive! Help me!’” she said. “It’s the greatest tragedy I could imagine in all my years.”

As night fell, vehicles continued to arrive at the vigil. Some mourners stood silently, while others brought flowers, handwritten messages, or black-and-white balloons.

Mistaken Identities and Foreign Victims

Authorities faced immense challenges identifying the victims, as the health minister admitted: “No pathology institute has the capacity to handle so many bodies so quickly.” To aid in the effort, 12 additional forensic pathologists were deployed.

While officials pledged that all bodies would be returned to families by early Saturday, there were mistakes.

“They gave us a body that wasn’t hers,” said Julio Alberto Acosta, whose stepdaughter died in the collapse. “We had to open the bag ourselves — it wasn’t her. We just want the right one, so her mother can see her and give her a proper burial.”

Preliminary reports indicate the victims included two retired Major League Baseball players, a provincial governor, a Haitian, an Italian, two French citizens, and “several” Americans, according to the U.S. State Department.

Seeking Answers

In response to the disaster, the government extended the national mourning period from three to six days and announced the formation of a special commission — comprising national and international experts — to investigate the collapse.

President Abinader vowed accountability. “We will find out what happened, why it happened, and how it happened,” he said.

As the nation reels, questions loom about structural negligence, crowd control, and fire safety standards. For now, grief hangs heavy in the air — and a country united in mourning waits for answers.