Dominican nightclub roof collapses during concert, killing 98: What we know so far

At least 98 people were killed and over 160 injured in the roof collapse of Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The incident occurred during a packed merengue concert in the early hours of Tuesday.
The popular venue was hosting hundreds, including top athletes, politicians, and artists. Rescue operations are ongoing as crews search for survivors. Among the dead are notable public figures, including former MLB stars, reported Associated Press.
What happened
The collapse happened around 12:44 am local time. Witnesses described sudden chaos as the roof gave way, sending hundreds scrambling for safety.
Videos shared on social media show parts of the ceiling starting to fall moments before the full collapse. Rescue teams rushed to the scene and worked for hours, pulling survivors from under heavy rubble.

Some were still being found nearly 12 hours later.

Who are the victims?
The dead include well-known names in Dominican public life. Octavio Dotel, a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for 13 teams and won a World Series, died in the collapse. He was 51. His death was confirmed after earlier reports had said he was rescued.
Tony Blanco, another professional baseball player who played in Japan and the US, also lost his life. Nelsy Cruz, governor of Monte Cristi province and sister of former MLB player Nelson Cruz, was also killed.
Among the injured is Bray Vargas, a national lawmaker. Rubby Pérez, the merengue singer performing that night, is still unaccounted for. His saxophonist was confirmed dead.

Cause unknown
Prosecutor Rosalba Ramos told local TV channel CDN that although the public is eager to understand what caused the collapse, the priority right now is to rescue those still trapped under the rubble.The club released a statement saying it is cooperating fully with the authorities. It also mentioned that the owner, Antonio Espaillat, was abroad at the time of the incident and returned late on Tuesday.
President Luis Abinader shared on social media platform X that all rescue teams are working non-stop to help the victims. “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 posted.