JetSet Club tragedy: 184 confirmed deaths

aarhus

Woke European
Jun 10, 2008
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Very good point. Definitely unstupid. I had not thought of that.
Definitely it could if the structure was already fragile. We will just have to await the results of the investigation by the appropriate government authority.
 

JD Jones

Moderator:North Coast,Santo Domingo,SW Coast,Covid
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I have now seen two videos of disco employees sweeping up cement debris falling from the ceiling shortly before it failed. One of them was right in front of the stage.

I also noted the lack of rebar in the debris. Had the roof been constructed properly, it would have been sticking out all over the place.
 
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Also would the vibration of the speakers attached to the ceiling be a factor? Over a long period of time the vibration from bass booms may affect the structure? Or am I being stupid
Vibration is certainly a factor, low bass would also travel through the floor and walls up to the roof. No stupid!

Also I have been at quite some buildups of concerts and I recall the guys that did the rigging and lights always had a plan with the maximum weight limits for that particular roof and the dedicated anchor points in that roof. Obviously there are tighter limits near the middle of a span. Even with purposely built venues they reach those limits fast.
To me there are enough potential factors to believe the roof was overstressed and it probably was for many years until it finally gave up. The question is what the conclusion of the investigation will be, I doubt it will be clear as several parties/inspections have failed and the blame will probably be put on only one. But that is an assumption, time will tell.
 

AlterEgo

Administrator
Staff member
Jan 9, 2009
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South Coast
I have now seen two videos of disco employees sweeping up cement debris falling from the ceiling shortly before it failed. One of them was right in front of the stage.

I also noted the lack of rebar in the debris. Had the roof been constructed properly, it would have been sticking out all over the place.

Makes you wonder how long the debris had been falling. Days? Weeks?? ☹️
 

Ecoman1949

Born to Ride.
Oct 17, 2015
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So far there is a whole list of events that may have led to this disaster:

A roof built on columns allows for a lighter roof construction, take the columns away and the roof is out of spec and stress points are not supported.

There was weight added under the roof: a lot of pro light systems, trusses and line array speakers all hung on the roof. That’s a lot of weight.

There was weight added on top of the roof, big AC units and tinaco’s. When 1m3 water equals 1000KG, there might be many thousands of kg’s added weight on top.

Then there is talk of filtration and leakage of the roof. It was apparently 3 times cemented over, the last contractor apparently refused to do the job (because of the condition of the roof), unless the owner signed for responsibility.

With longtime filtration rebar will start to rust and expand, causing to crack the concrete and loosing strength (concrete rot).

There were none steel H beams in this structure. It’s a necessity with these wide spans combined with the purpose of this building.

Then there are questions about the damage of the previous fire, maintenance, structure inspection etc.

While each of these points is an issue, a combination is a recipe for disaster..
Everything you noted in your post requires close scrutiny by various experts to insure the investigation is properly conducted. Transparency requires the full release of the investigation results to the general public, and the recommended mitigation procedures to prevent this happening in other large public venues. That’s the dream.

Here is the reality. The possibilities you listed, if proven true, point the negligence finger directly at the government and the owner. Does anyone know of if the government has announced if there will be an in-depth inquiry involving multiple experts, who these experts will be, and what aspects of the disaster they will be investigating? Time can be the enemy of truth during investigations where governments are culpable and it can be a friend of government’s looking to delay proceedings to protect their interests.

Yes, people are burying their dead and mourning and I respect that but there is an urgency here to protect the safety of the public from future disasters and the government still needs to govern during disasters, or at least seen to be governing.

I’ve been following a lot of the media coverage but not all. So far, the government has declared three days of mourning and said very little about the pending investigation. If I’m wrong, point me to sources that clearly define the full extent of the government investigation.

The owner has hired an engineer to determine the cause of the roof collapse. Something positive but, more likely, a CYA effort. He is a rich Dominican with friends in high places. He could walk away with no consequences.
 

josh2203

Bronze
Dec 5, 2013
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I have now seen two videos of disco employees sweeping up cement debris falling from the ceiling shortly before it failed. One of them was right in front of the stage..

And it did not occur to them that something might be wrong or report that to someone?
 

aarhus

Woke European
Jun 10, 2008
5,008
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Good point... I still wonder the rush to fix everything there and hinder the "investigation".
Yeah how did the management and security work in a place like that. The owner was abroad it has been said.
 

JD Jones

Moderator:North Coast,Santo Domingo,SW Coast,Covid
Jan 7, 2016
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Nuria posted a video with a timeline of the tragedy:


Lots of incriminating videos of the building, it's construction, chunks of ceiling with no rebar, layer upon layer of cement poured to stop leaks—damning evidence.

 
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JD Jones

Moderator:North Coast,Santo Domingo,SW Coast,Covid
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And, FWIW.... All of the debris from the collapse were supposed to be deposited in the Feria Ganadera. Somehow a truckload of the debris was taken to Santiago without authorization.
By the looks of the debris, most of it is pieces of the ceiling. Pieces with virtually no rebar:

From "Somos Pueblo"
We Are the People — The transfer of part of the debris from the collapsed Jet Set nightclub from Santo Domingo to Santiago has generated public criticism in recent days, after images and reports circulated on social media showing materials from the tragedy on a vacant lot in the Cibao district. However, both the manager of the contractor involved and infrastructure authorities have come forward to clarify that this was not an irregular or officially planned operation .
Ramón Rodríguez , equipment manager for a company involved in the construction of the Santiago monorail, confirmed that the waste was transported to a storage area linked to the project. He explained that the transfer occurred for logistical reasons, due to the disorientation of the truck driver, who was assisting with the emergency response and was unfamiliar with the location of designated landfills in the capital.
IMG 4049

“We don't do anything secret. We went to provide support for the tragedy that everyone knows about. The team that came from here didn't know where to dump it in Santo Domingo, and they were authorized to bring it here, where we deposit the monorail waste,” Rodríguez stated.
The contractor claimed it was a single trip , carried out with a single truck, and that everything happened in full view of dozens of people present at the disaster site. "There's nothing dark about it. That's a lie. I, Ramón Rodríguez, say this responsibly," he told local media.
For his part, the director of the National Office for Seismic Assessment and Vulnerability of Infrastructure and Buildings (Onesvie) , Leonardo Reyes Madera , also clarified that the debris removal was part of an emergency operation intended to expedite rescue efforts . He indicated that several vehicles, including some provided by private companies, participated in the urgent removal of collapsed materials.
"It was necessary to quickly remove these parts to rescue the trapped people. The Livestock Fair was set up as a collection point, but one of the drivers, apparently from Santiago, didn't wait his turn and left with the materials," Reyes Madera explained.
The official emphasized that the transfer was neither authorized nor planned by Onesvie, and that all the technical materials needed to conduct the appraisal are being stored in the capital.
So far, authorities from the Ministry of Public Works in Santiago have declined to comment, and the local Prosecutor's Office has not commented on whether any investigation into the incident is underway.
The context of this situation remains framed by national mourning following the collapse of the Jet Set nightclub roof, which occurred in the early hours of April 8 during a performance by merengue singer Rubby Pérez. The latest official report, offered by the Minister of Public Health, Dr. Víctor Atallah , indicates that 225 people have died , including public figures such as Governor Nelsy Cruz and former baseball players Octavio Dotel and Tony Blanco .
Of that total, 221 bodies were recovered at ground zero , while another four died in hospitals. Authorities do not rule out the possibility that the number could rise, given that some of the injured remain hospitalized in critical condition.
President Luis Abinader, through Decree 195-25 , extended the national mourning period until Monday, April 14, and ordered the formation of a national and international technical team to clarify the causes of the collapse. This team will work under the coordination of Onesvie, which has already begun a thorough technical analysis of the building's structure and maintenance history.
While the country awaits clear answers, survivor testimonies, reports of past warnings, and incidents such as unauthorized debris removal continue to fuel the need for a transparent and rigorous investigation.



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JD Jones

Moderator:North Coast,Santo Domingo,SW Coast,Covid
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That's the firm Brian picked to handle his lawsuit. Other victims families may not be in agreement
 
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Ecoman1949

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That's the firm Brian picked to handle his lawsuit. Other victims families may not be in agreement
JD. Based on posts during other incidents, I was under the impression individual and class action lawsuits don’t happen in the DR. Is this a legal precedent? If It is, the public scrutiny on the government and building owner will be much more intense.
 

JD Jones

Moderator:North Coast,Santo Domingo,SW Coast,Covid
Jan 7, 2016
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JD. Based on posts during other incidents, I was under the impression individual and class action lawsuits don’t happen in the DR. Is this a legal precedent? If It is, the public scrutiny on the government and building owner will be much more intense.
TBH, I don't know.