Death toll from Dominican nightclub roof collapse climbs to 225, as 4 die from injuries

Four people hospitalized with injuries from the roof collapse at a Dominican Republic nightclub died overnight, raising the death toll to at least 225, health officials said Saturday.

Fifteen of the more than 200 injured remain hospitalized, including five in critical condition, officials said. A total of 189 people were rescued from the rubble of the popular nightclub Jet Set in the capital of Santo Domingo.

Health minister Victor Attalah told reporters Saturday there was a delay in identifying victims because the majority of them had to be matched using biometric data.

Pro-sports athletes, politicians and a fashion designer were among those inside the nightclub Tuesday when its rooftop came crashing down in the middle of popular merengue singer Rubby Perez’s performance, triggering a 53-hour search and rescue mission.

Relatives who identified the body of their loved one who died at the Jet Set nightclub console one another. — The death toll from Tuesday’s tragic roof collapse at a Santo Domingo nightclub is now at 225 after health officials confirmed four new deaths Saturday. Here, relatives who identified the body of their loved one who died at the Jet Set nightclub console one another. AP

Among the confirmed dead are Perez, former World Series champion Octavio Dotel and former Major League Baseball player Tony Blanco, father of current Pittsburgh Pirates prospect Tony Blanco Jr.

Dotel, who started his career as a Mets prospect and also played with the Yankees, won a ring with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2011. Blanco Sr. played briefly for the Washington Nationals.

Nelsy Cruz, the governor of Montecristi province and sister of seven-time Major League Baseball All-Star Nelson Cruz, reportedly alerted Dominican President Luis Abinader to the disaster, calling him from under the debris.

A drone view shows the site of Jet Set nightclub roof collapse. — A drone view shows the site of the Jet Set nightclub after its roof collapsed. REUTERS

Officials said Nelsy Cruz later died at a hospital.

Other victims include a retired UN official, New York-based fashion designer Martín Polanco, an Army captain who left behind four young girls and three employees at Grupo Popular, a financial services company, including the president of AFP Popular Bank and his wife.

Medical workers stand near the bodies of victims lying on the ground, as authorities work to return the bodies from the Jet Set nightclub roof collapse to their families, at the National Institute of Forensic Sciences in Santo Domingo. — Medical workers stand near the bodies of victims lying on the ground as authorities work to return the bodies from the Jet Set nightclub roof collapse to their families at the National Institute of Forensic Sciences in Santo Domingo. REUTERS

Flags at New York City Hall and other city-owned buildings were lowered Saturday in response to this week’s tragic roof collapse.

Mayor Eric is planning to travel Sunday to the Dominican Republic with NYC Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez, who is Dominican, where they will pay their respects.

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