Hope fades for finding survivors as search and rescue operation turns to recovery after night club tragedy in Santo Domingo.
Officials in the Dominican Republic have raised the death toll from the catastrophic roof collapse at the Jet Set nightclub in capital Santo Domingo to 184, as hopes of finding survivors fade and the rescue operation turns to recovery.
Local media quoting the country’s emergency operations director, Juan Manuel Mendez, reported on Thursday that at least 184 people had died in the accident. Mendez also stressed that it was a “preliminary figure”.
Mendez told a news conference that “until we have combed through everything, we are not going to abandon anyone”.
“We will be here until we have recovered everyone, dead or alive,” he said, adding that no survivors had been found under the rubble since Tuesday afternoon.
The legendary club was packed with musicians, professional athletes and government officials when dust began falling from the ceiling and into people’s drinks early on Tuesday. Minutes later, the roof collapsed.
As rescue efforts moved into the recovery phase, a growing number of friends and relatives gathered outside the Dominican Republic’s National Institute of Forensic Pathology, waiting for any news on the fate of their loved ones.
Officials had called for calm on Wednesday as they announced the names of 54 identified victims and notified that they had released 28 of the bodies to their families. However, 33 bodies were still unidentified, officials said late on Wednesday afternoon, adding that they did not yet have a full tally of all bodies recovered.
More than 20 of the estimated 150 people injured in the accident remain hospitalised, including at least eight in critical condition, officials said.
“A point in their favour is that they’re young,” said Dr Julio Landron, director general of the Dr Ney Arias Lora Trauma Hospital, where 21 victims are being treated. Five of the survivors are in critical condition with severe injuries including skull, femur and pelvis fractures.
“They spent hours, more than six, seven, eight hours under rubble with multiple fractures, multiple injuries, with bleeding related to being crushed,” he said.
It is not yet clear what caused the ceiling to collapse, and the nightclub has issued a statement, saying it is cooperating with authorities.
The Ministry of Public Works referred all questions regarding the matter to the mayor’s office, which has also not commented on the situation.