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Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Family bid farewell to merengue singer, killed in Dominican nightclub disaster
Family members bade a tearful farewell Thursday to merengue singer Rubby Perez, who died this week when the roof of a Dominican Republic nightclub crashed down on him as he did what he loved best: perform for an adoring crowd. Born Roberto Antonio Perez, the 69-year-old was given a private wake at the National Theater in the capital Santo Domingo, where the death toll from Tuesday's disaster has surged past 200. "My soul is on the verge of exploding with love," Perez's daughter Zulinka sang at the ceremony attended by President Luis Abinader and other performers like Juan Luis Guerra as the Dominican Republic observed three days of national mourning for the many victims. "In love with love," she continued, performing excerpts from tunes her father used to sing to her as a child. Born on March 8, 1956, in Bajos de Haina, near Santo Domingo, Rubby Perez began his musical career in the late 1970s after studying at the National Conservatory of Music. He had dreamed of becoming a baseball player as a child, but a traffic accident led him to change course and become one of merengue music's most recognizable voices. The singer, known for hits such as "Volvere" (I'll be back) and "Enamorado de Ella (In love with Her), had a vocal quality and pitch that led to him being dubbed "The "highest voice of Merengue" -- a Caribbean genre characterized by fast, danceable beats. Family members wept inconsolably as Abinader offered his condolences near the coffin surrounded by wreaths and topped with the artist's signature hat and glasses. "My brother was a working man, a person who loved to work," Neifi Perez told reporters at the wake before breaking down in tears. The theater is expected to open to the public later Thursday for a religious service. syr-ba/nn/mlr/dw
Express Tribune
10-04-2025
- Express Tribune
Death toll in Dominican Republic nightclub roof collapse reaches 218
Rescue teams work at the site of the collapsed Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, April 9, 2025. PHOTO: REUTERS Listen to article The death toll after a roof collapsed at a crowded nightclub in the Dominican Republic has climbed to 221, the head of rescue operations said on Thursday, in the Caribbean nation's worst disaster in decades. Rescuers had worked frantically since the collapse in the early hours of Tuesday to dig out survivors from the rubble of the popular Jet Set club in Santo Domingo. Among the dead were famed merengue singer Rubby Perez, who was performing on stage as the roof caved in, as well as two former Major League Baseball players and a local politician. 'Unfortunately and with regret, [there are] 218 people dead as preliminary data,' Juan Manuel Mendez, director of the Emergency Operations Centre (COE), told reporters. He said that 189 people had been 'rescued alive' since the collapse. More than 500 people were injured in the incident. Up to 1,000 people could have been inside the club at the time of the accident, local media has reported, though no official figure has yet been given. 'Our rescue workers are already concluding the search,' Mendez said. 'We are saddened by this tragedy that has so saddened the Dominican people.' Authorities ruled out the possibility of finding any more survivors late on Wednesday. The government said it will open an inquiry into the disaster as soon as the rescue operations have been completed. Over 300 rescue workers, aided by sniffer dogs, had spent two days combing through mounds of fallen bricks, steel bars and tin sheets, supported by firefighters from Puerto Rico and Israel. Aerial images of the site showed a scene resembling the aftermath of an earthquake, with a gaping hole where the roof of the club — a fixture of Santo Domingo's nightlife for half a century — had been. A video posted on social media showed the venue suddenly plunged into darkness while Perez was singing. Tributes to the singer, known for hits such as 'Volvere' and 'Enamorado de Ella', poured in from across Latin America. The baseball world meanwhile mourned the death of Octavio Dotel, a 51-year-old baseball pitcher who won the World Series with the St Louis Cardinals in 2011, and Tony Blanco, 45, who also played in the United States. President Luis Abinader declared three days of national mourning. Relatives were still waiting desperately for news of their loved ones outside the ruined club, at hospitals and the local morgue on Wednesday. Antonio Hernandez, whose son worked at the Jet Set nightclub, told AFP on Wednesday that his hopes of finding his son alive had begun fading as he watched more and more bodies, but no survivors, being retrieved. The remains in one body bag resembled his son's height and build, said Hernandez, but he did not investigate. 'I don't have the stomach to find out the worst yet. '
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Death toll in Dominican nightclub disaster rises to 218
The death toll after a roof collapsed at a crowded nightclub in the Dominican Republic has climbed to 218, the head of rescue operations said Thursday, in the Caribbean nation's worst disaster in decades. Rescuers had worked frantically since the collapse in the early hours of Tuesday to dig out survivors from the rubble of the popular Jet Set club in Santo Domingo. Among the dead were famed merengue singer Rubby Perez, who was performing on stage as the roof caved in, as well as two former Major League Baseball players and a local politician. "Unfortunately and with regret, (there are) 218 people dead as preliminary data," Juan Manuel Mendez, director of the Emergency Operations Center (COE), told reporters. He said that 189 people had been "rescued alive" since the collapse. More than 500 people were injured in the incident. Up to 1,000 people could have been inside the club at the time of the accident, local media has reported, though no official figure has yet been given. "Our rescue workers are already concluding the search," Mendez said. "We are saddened by this tragedy that has so saddened the Dominican people." Authorities ruled out the possibility of finding any more survivors late Wednesday. The government said it will open an inquiry into the disaster as soon as the rescue operations have been completed. Over 300 rescue workers, aided by sniffer dogs, had spent two days combing through mounds of fallen bricks, steel bars and tin sheets, supported by firefighters from Puerto Rico and Israel. Aerial images of the site showed a scene resembling the aftermath of an earthquake, with a gaping hole where the roof of the club -- a fixture of Santo Domingo's nightlife for half a century -- had been. A video posted on social media showed the venue suddenly plunged into darkness while Perez was singing. Tributes to the singer, known for hits such as "Volvere" and "Enamorado de Ella," poured in from across Latin America. The baseball world meanwhile mourned the death of Octavio Dotel, a 51-year-old baseball pitcher who won the World Series with the St Louis Cardinals in 2011, and Tony Blanco, 45, who also played in the United States. President Luis Abinader declared three days of national mourning. Relatives were still waiting desperately for news Wednesday of their loved ones outside the ruined club, at hospitals and at the local morgue. Antonio Hernandez, whose son worked at the Jet Set nightclub, told AFP Wednesday his hopes of finding his son alive had begun fading as he watched more and more bodies, but no survivors, being retrieved. The remains in one body bag resembled his son's height and build, said Hernandez, but he did not investigate. "I don't have the stomach to find out the worst yet." bur-jt/nn/st/dhc
Al-Ahram Weekly
10-04-2025
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Death toll in Dominican nightclub disaster rises to 218 - International
The death toll after a roof collapsed at a crowded nightclub in the Dominican Republic has climbed to 218, the head of rescue operations said Thursday, in the Caribbean nation's worst disaster in decades. Related Over 110 dead in Dominican Republic nightclub roof collapse Rescuers had worked frantically since the collapse in the early hours of Tuesday to dig out survivors from the rubble of the popular Jet Set club in Santo Domingo. Among the dead were famed merengue singer Rubby Perez, who was performing on stage as the roof caved in, as well as two former Major League Baseball players and a local politician. "Unfortunately and with regret, (there are) 218 people dead as preliminary data," Juan Manuel Mendez, director of the Emergency Operations Center (COE), told reporters. He said that 189 people had been "rescued alive" since the collapse. More than 500 people were injured in the incident. Up to 1,000 people could have been inside the club at the time of the accident, local media has reported, though no official figure has yet been given. "Our rescue workers are already concluding the search," Mendez said. "We are saddened by this tragedy that has so saddened the Dominican people." Authorities ruled out the possibility of finding any more survivors late Wednesday. The government said it will open an inquiry into the disaster as soon as the rescue operations have been completed. Over 300 rescue workers, aided by sniffer dogs, had spent two days combing through mounds of fallen bricks, steel bars and tin sheets, supported by firefighters from Puerto Rico and Israel. Aerial images of the site showed a scene resembling the aftermath of an earthquake, with a gaping hole where the roof of the club -- a fixture of Santo Domingo's nightlife for half a century -- had been. A video posted on social media showed the venue suddenly plunged into darkness while Perez was singing. Tributes to the singer, known for hits such as "Volvere" and "Enamorado de Ella," poured in from across Latin America. The baseball world meanwhile mourned the death of Octavio Dotel, a 51-year-old baseball pitcher who won the World Series with the St Louis Cardinals in 2011, and Tony Blanco, 45, who also played in the United States. President Luis Abinader declared three days of national mourning. Relatives were still waiting desperately for news Wednesday of their loved ones outside the ruined club, at hospitals and at the local morgue. Antonio Hernandez, whose son worked at the Jet Set nightclub, told AFP Wednesday his hopes of finding his son alive had begun fading as he watched more and more bodies, but no survivors, being retrieved. The remains in one body bag resembled his son's height and build, said Hernandez, but he did not investigate. "I don't have the stomach to find out the worst yet." Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
The Guardian
10-04-2025
- The Guardian
Dominican Republic ends search for survivors after nightclub roof collapse
Rescue workers in the Dominican Republic on Wednesday ended the search for survivors of a nightclub roof collapse as the death toll surpassed 180 in the Caribbean nation's worst disaster in decades. Emergency personnel late Wednesday reported 60 more deaths compared to the morning's count, with the total confirmed tally reaching 184. An official statement had earlier said that 'all reasonable possibilities of finding more survivors' had been exhausted, and the focus of the operation will turn to recovering bodies. 'Today we will complete the rescue effort,' said Jose Luis Frometa Herasme, head of the fire service in the Dominican capital Santo Domingo, where the tragedy occurred at the Jet Set nightclub in the early hours of Tuesday, sending shock waves through the nation. Relatives of missing people were still waiting desperately for news Wednesday of their loved ones outside the ruined club, at hospitals and at the local morgue. Over 300 rescue workers, aided by sniffer dogs, had spent two days combing through mounds of fallen bricks, steel bars and tin sheets, supported by firefighters from Puerto Rico and Israel. Aerial images of the site showed a scene resembling the aftermath of an earthquake, with a gaping hole where the roof of the club – a fixture of Santo Domingo's nightlife for half a century – had been. Over 500 people were also injured when the roof caved in while renowned merengue singer Rubby Pérez was performing for a crowd of hundreds. Pérez and two former Major League Baseball players were among the dead. Antonio Hernandez, whose son worked at the Jet Set nightclub, told AFP his hopes of finding his son alive had begun fading as he watched more and more bodies, but no survivors, being retrieved. The remains in one body bag resembled his son's height and build, said Hernandez, but he did not investigate. 'I don't have the stomach to find out the worst yet.' Mercedes Lopez said she was in a lot of pain as she waited to learn the fate of her son. 'We haven't found him on the lists or in the hospitals,' she said. US secretary of state Marco Rubio sent his condolences Wednesday and said at least one US citizen was among the victims. 'Our hearts go out to the families and loved ones affected by this devastating event,' he wrote on X. Pope Francis also sent condolences. Local media said there were between 500 and 1,000 people in the club when disaster struck about 12.44am local time Tuesday. The club can hold 1,700 people. A video posted on social media showed the venue suddenly plunged into darkness while Pérez was singing. The star's daughter Zulinka managed to escape but her father did not. His body was recovered on Wednesday. Tributes to the singer, known for hits such as Volvere and Enamorado de Ella poured in from across Latin America. 'Maestro, what a great pain you leave us,' Puerto Rican Grammy-winning singer Olga Tanon wrote on social media. Pérez's former band leader Wilfrido Vargas said he was 'devastated' at the death of an 'idol of our genre'. The baseball world meanwhile mourned the death of Octavio Dotel, a 51-year-old baseball pitcher who won the World Series with the St Louis Cardinals in 2011 and Tony Blanco, 45, who also played in the United States. President Luis Abinader declared three days of national mourning. Iris Pena, a survivor, told local television that she made for the door after 'dirt started falling like dust' into her drink and then a stone fell and cracked the table where she was sitting. 'The impact was so strong, as if it had been a tsunami or an earthquake,' she said. The Jet Set club said on Tuesday it was working with authorities probing the disaster, one of the worst in Dominican history. In 2005, more than 130 prisoners in the east of the country died in a fire caused by a fight between inmates.
