Santo Domingo, April 8: At least 18 people died and more than 120 were injured after a roof fell at a nightclub in the capital of the Dominican Republic early Tuesday, authorities said. Crews were searching for potential survivors in the rubble at Jet Set in Santo Domingo, said Juan Manuel Méndez, director of the Center of Emergency Operations. “We presume that many of them are still alive, and that is why the authorities here will not give up until not a single person remains under that rubble,” he said.

Nelsy Cruz, the governor of Montecristi, was among the victims. Meanwhile, the injured include merengue singer Rubby Pérez, who was performing when the roof collapsed, officials said. His manager, Enrique Paulino, whose shirt was spattered with blood, told reporters at the scene that the concert began shortly before midnight, with the roof collapsing almost an hour later, killing the group'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. Kannauj Railway Station Roof Collapse: Several Workers Trapped As Under-Construction Lintel Collapses in Uttar Pradesh (Watch Video).

President Luis Abinader wrote on X that all rescue agencies are “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,” he wrote. Abinader arrived at the scene and hugged those looking for friends and family, some with tears streaming down their faces. He did not speak to reporters. An official with a megaphone stood outside the club imploring the large crowd that had gathered to search for friends and relatives to give ambulances space. At Least 13 Dead, 70 Injured in Roof Collapse at Dominican Republic Discotheque.

Roof Collapse at Dominican Republic Nightclub

“You have to cooperate with authorities, please,” he said, adding that, “We are removing people.” At one hospital where the injured were taken, an official stood outside reading aloud the names of survivors as a crowd gathered around her and yelled out the names of their loved ones. It wasn't immediately clear what caused the roof to collapse.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)