Rubby Perez Injured, Many Killed

Eighteen people have been confirmed dead and more than 120 have been hospitalized with injuries early Tuesday (April 8) when the roof of the Jet Set nightclub, a well-known venue in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, collapsed during a live performance, according to the Associated Press.

It wasn’t immediately clear what caused the roof to collapse.

Authorities have launched extensive search and rescue efforts, with the national police sharing on its Instagram account that there have been “101 transfers have been made to different hospital centers in the National District,” noting that “search, rescue and medical assistance” is ongoing in the area, where an estimated 300 people had gathered for the concert.

“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,” Juan Manuel Méndez, director of the Center of Emergency Operations, said of the search for survivors and victims inside the venue, according to the AP.

Among the injured is merengue singer Rubby Pérez, who was performing when the roof collapsed, officials said. The AP reported that the vocalist’s manager, Enrique Paulino, spoke to reporters at the scene about the collapse that happened about an hour after the show began at midnight. Paulino said that Pérez’s saxophone player was killed in the incident.

Billboard had reached out to Pérez’s management.

“It happened so quickly. I managed to throw myself into a corner,” Paulino said of the rumble that he initially thought was an earthquake. Video taken just before the roof collapse depicts Pérez and fans enjoying themselves before a large crash is heard as the clip goes dark.

Carolina Mejía de Garrigó, the mayor of Santo Domingo, discussed the “terrible tragedy” and the action being taken in messages posted to X. “My deepest sympathy goes out to the families still waiting for news of their loved ones,” she wrote. “Our National District Disaster Prevention, Mitigation, and Response Committee is active and in permanent session. We will continue to make every effort and remain united in prayer.”

President Luis Abinader also 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 shared.

This is a developing story.