Rescue workers are frantically searching for survivors in the rubble of an iconic Dominican Republic nightclub where 98 people were killed and over 160 injured after the roof collapsed on concertgoers.
About 12 hours after the tragedy struck at the Jet Set nightclub in the capital city of Santo Domingo, rescue workers say they are hearing sounds of survivors in the rubble of mangled concrete and iron bars.
The dead include former Major League Baseball player Octavio Dotel, 51.
Another Dominican baseball player, Tony Enrique Blanco Cabrera, was also killed, league spokesperson Satosky Terrero confirmed.
There were almost 300 people inside the one-storey club for a concert by merengue artist Rubby Pérez and his orchestra when the roof came crashing down at around 1am local time on Tuesday.
The whereabouts of Mr Pérez and his band remain unknown.
Juan Manuel Mendez, director of the Centre of Emergency Operations, said they were hopeful of pulling out survivors.
"We continue clearing debris and searching for people," he said on Tuesday night. "We are going to search tirelessly for people."
Mr Mendez said that rescue crews were prioritising three areas of the nightclub where they were “hearing some sounds”.
The rescuer workers removed broken concrete blocks and used sawed pieces of wood as planks to lift heavy debris as the noise of drills breaking through concrete filled the air.
Relatives of the missing concertgoers gathered at the scene with pictures of their loved ones as the injured were taken to hospitals in ambulances.
Aerial footage of the site shows a gaping hole in the middle of the venue.
Footage from inside the club purports to show the final moments before the roof collapse: It shows the orchestra playing as people enjoying in front of the stage are startled by a loud noise of a collapsing roof before the lights turn off and video goes dark.
Nelsy Cruz, the governor of the northwestern province of Montecristi and sister of Major League Baseball star Nelson Cruz, was among the victims as well.
She had called president Luis Abinader at 12.49am, saying she was trapped and that the roof had collapsed, first lady Raquel Abraje told reporters. Officials said she died later at the hospital.
“This is too great a tragedy,” the first lady said, her voice breaking.
Fellow national politician Bray Vargas was among those injured.
Opened in 1973, Jet Set is an iconic nightclub located in southern Santo Domingo. It was known for its “Jet Set Mondays” that featured local and international artists.
The club, which underwent renovations in 2010 and 2015, was struck by lightning in 2023.
The reason for the roof collapse is unknown.
The club’s owner, Antonio Espaillat, who was out of the country and returned on Tuesday, issued a statement saying they were cooperating with authorities.
"There are no words to express the pain this event has caused,” he said. “What happened has been devastating for everyone."
Family members of Mr Perez, the singer who was performing when the roof collapsed, initially said he had been rescued, but Mr Mendez later said rescue crews were still looking for him.
The singer's manager, Enrique Paulino, whose shirt was spattered with blood, told reporters at the scene the concert started shortly before midnight with the roof collapsing almost an hour later, killing the band’s saxophonist. “It happened so quickly. I managed to throw myself into a corner," he said, adding that he initially thought it was an earthquake.
A makeshift morgue was set up near the club to keep the dead bodies as relatives gathered to find their loved ones. More than 120 people lined up to donate blood at two different centres.
Manuel Olivo Ortiz, whose son attended the concert but did not return home, was among those anxiously waiting outside the club.
“We are holding on only to God," Mr Olivo said.
Mr Abinader said all rescue agencies were "working tirelessly" to help those affected. "We deeply regret the tragedy that occurred at the Jet Set nightclub. We have been following the incident minute by minute since it occurred," the president wrote on X.
Mr Abinader arrived at the scene and hugged those looking for friends and family, some with tears streaming down their faces.
"We have faith in God that we will rescue even more people alive," the president told reporters.
Additional reporting by agencies.
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