//Tragedy at Jet Set: Roof Collapse in Dominican Republic Kills Over 60, Including Singer Rubby Pérez and Former MLB Player//
//Tragedy at Jet Set: Roof Collapse in Dominican Republic Kills Over 60, Including Singer Rubby Pérez and Former MLB Player//
In a heartbreaking and shocking tragedy that has left the Dominican Republic and the world in mourning, the roof of the famous Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo collapsed in the early hours of April 8, 2025, during a packed musical event, killing over 60 people, including iconic merengue singer Rubby Pérez and former Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher Octavio Dotel, as well as Monte Cristi’s provincial governor Nelsy Milagros Cruz Martinez, while dozens more were left critically injured and buried under rubble as rescue workers continued frantic efforts to save lives and identify the dead, with more than 150 injured people transported to area hospitals by ambulance, and approximately 400 emergency responders, including firefighters, civil defense teams, and medical personnel, working nonstop to dig through the collapsed structure and reach anyone still alive beneath the heavy concrete debris of the once-vibrant nightclub that had hosted countless concerts for decades; the incident occurred around 1 a.m., when the popular venue was at full capacity, with video footage showing guests dancing and sitting at tables while Pérez sang onstage, and in one chilling recording shared online, a man pointed toward the ceiling seconds before the collapse, saying something had fallen, followed by a loud crash and sudden darkness, with screams filling the background as the building caved in unexpectedly, leaving families devastated and city officials scrambling for answers; Pérez’s daughter, Zulinka Pérez, who was also performing backup vocals at the time of the collapse, miraculously survived and shared an emotional statement saying her father was injured but alive in the hospital and that rescue workers located him because he continued singing from under the rubble to make himself heard, a testament to his strength and love for music, though conflicting reports later confirmed he had succumbed to his injuries, making the cultural loss even more profound, as the singer was considered a legend in merengue music, beloved for his voice, charisma, and long-standing career that brought joy to millions in Latin America and beyond; President Luis Abinader posted on social media platform X to express his sorrow and deep regret, stating that all emergency agencies had responded immediately and were doing everything possible to rescue survivors and comfort the families, emphasizing that every effort would be made to understand what caused the deadly structural failure, while Santo Domingo Mayor Carolina Mejía de Garrigó also offered condolences and described the catastrophe as a “terrible tragedy” that had shaken the entire city, calling for unity and support for grieving families, as questions mounted about building safety and potential negligence by the nightclub’s owners and engineers, though the business issued a statement promising full cooperation with authorities and expressing willingness to assist victims in any way possible, insisting they wanted to clarify exactly what led to such a fatal collapse in a venue that had not shown signs of danger before; among the many killed was former MLB pitcher Octavio Dotel, a national sports hero and prominent public figure who had represented the Dominican Republic internationally and played for multiple teams in the United States, making his untimely death even more painful for fans and fellow athletes, while the sudden loss of Governor Cruz Martinez also left a political void and added to the disaster’s national impact, as she had been widely respected for her leadership and public service; the tragic event happened just as Santo Domingo was entering its festive spring season, and many people had gone to Jet Set to enjoy music and celebrate with friends, never expecting that a joyful night would turn into a scene of horror, grief, and destruction; the scale of the loss has sparked international responses, with artists, musicians, and politicians from around the world sending condolences, tributes, and messages of solidarity with the Dominican people, and social media has been flooded with emotional posts, candlelight images, and calls for thorough investigations to prevent another similar disaster from occurring, especially in entertainment venues where public safety must be prioritized; structural engineers are now being brought in to assess not only the Jet Set building but also similar establishments around the country, and early speculation includes possible water damage, corrosion, or construction flaws that might have weakened the roof over time, though no official cause has been confirmed yet, and until then, the nation waits with sorrow, memory, and mourning for the lives lost, the dreams crushed, and the music silenced in one of the darkest nights in Dominican cultural history, where a beloved icon like Rubby Pérez gave his final performance amid chaos and rubble, still singing until the very end.
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