Dominicans demand justice after nightclub collapse
SANTO DOMINGO: Dozens of people and families of victims of a nightclub collapse in the Dominican Republic last month, which left 233 people dead, gathered Thursday at a vigil to demand justice.
The roof of the Jet Set nightclub came crashing down in the early hours of April 8 on hundreds of people attending a concert by merengue star Rubby Perez, in the Caribbean nation's worst disaster in decades.
The club's owner told local media last month the roof had been leaking for years and had 'never' been inspected by authorities.
At least 38 lawsuits have been lodged against the club's owners.
A memorial of flowers, candles and photos of the victims has been erected at the entrance of the club, now blocked from public access, along with placards calling for justice.
'We want justice, because this has been very painful for all of us,' 46-year-old Fanny Martinez, whose sister and niece died in the tragedy, told AFP.
She said her family is preparing a lawsuit against the club's managers because 'if it stays like this, the pain will be greater if things are go unpunished.'
Martinez's sister, who lived in Spain, and her niece, who worked at the Guatemalan Embassy in the Dominican Republic, were visiting the club for the first time.
'We can't sleep. Every day that goes by, it affects us more... it sticks in our heads. It's a very hard ordeal, and that's why we want justice,' she said with tears in her eyes.
An investigation has been opened and Dominican President Luis Abinader has vowed there will be 'no government intervention' in the judicial process.
The Dominican Republic has no law requiring privately-owned buildings to undergo safety inspections.
After the disaster President Luis Abinader said the government was drafting a bill making inspections mandatory.
The lawsuits include charges of manslaughter against the club's managers, and of negligence against various public institutions.
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