AT least 124 people have died after a ceiling collapsed at a nightclub during a concert in the Dominican Republic.
More bodies are expected to be found later today as the operation to reach people believed to be trapped under the rubble at the iconic Jet Set Club continues.
Horror footage captured the moment when the roof collapsed at the venue in the Dominican Republic during a concert by singer Rubby Perez.
The singer was killed in the tragedy, his manager Enrique Paulino confirmed, after he was originally listed among the missing.
More than 250 people were injured in the roof collapse during a concert by the merengue singer.
And the death toll now stands at nearly 100, Juan Manuel Méndez, Director of the country’s Emergency Operations Centre, confirmed at a press conference just after midnight local time.
Mendez revealed that rescue teams had found no one alive since 3pm local time yesterday.
But he said: “We’re continuing to work with the great hope of finding people alive.”
Among the dead are two former Major League Baseball stars – Tony Blanco, 43, and Octavio Dotel, authorities said.
Dotel, 51, who played for 13 major league teams and won the 2011 World Series as a member of the St Louis Cardinals, had been trapped under rubble for around 11 hours before rescue teams reached him.
He died of the injuries he sustained after being rushed to a military hospital.
Blanco, who played for the Washington Nationals in 2005 before spending eight seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan, was reportedly killed when he tried to save his friend and former baseball player Esteban German, being hit by falling debris.
[bc_video account_id=”5067014667001″ application_id=”” aspect_ratio=”16:9″ autoplay=”” caption=”Dozens killed & over 150 injured in horror fire at nightclub after ‘fireworks set off inside venue'” embed=”in-page” experience_id=”” height=”100%” language_detection=”” max_height=”360px” max_width=”640px” min_width=”0px” mute=”” padding_top=”56%” picture_in_picture=”” player_id=”default” playlist_id=”” playsinline=”” sizing=”responsive” video_id=”6370105187112″ video_ids=”” width=”640px”]As of last night 32 of the people killed had been identified.
Dominican Republic president Luis Abinader has declared three days of national mourning.
AGONISING WAIT
Family and friends of the missing gathered outside the nightclub as they waited for news of their loved ones.
One person at the scene of the horror ceiling collapse told Diario Libre: “We don’t know anything, no one is answering their phones.”
He explained that his cousins and friends were at the concert but he didn’t know where they were.
Senior military chefs are at the scene as emergency services work to rescue concert-goers under the rubble.
Emergency operations chief Mendez also revealed that President Luis Abinader is aware of the harrowing situation and “has not slept”.
Antonio Espaillat, a representative of the family which owns the nightclub where the tragedy occurred, said: “There are not enough words to express the pain of this event.
“What happened has been devastating for everyone. We want you to know that we are with you, that we share your anguish.
“From the very beginning, we have been cooperating fully and transparently with the authorities.
“We remain in constant communication with the Emergency Operations Centre as search and rescue efforts continue with emergency teams, volunteers and personnel from more than 22 institutions.”
The horrific incident comes after tragedy struck at another nightclub in North Macedonia just weeks ago, when the building erupted into flames.
Club Pulse turned into an inferno during a concert overnight, leaving at least 59 young partygoers dead and another 155 injured – 22 of whom were in critical condition.
