On 8 April 2025, President Luis Abinader declared three days of mourning (8, 9 and 10 April 2025 by Decree 194-25) for the victims of the JetSet Club tragedy. He personally had learned of the tragedy when the governor of Montecristi, Nelsy Cruz, who was at the club that night, called him around 5 minutes after the collapse. She would be among the first to be declared dead. She was the sister of Nelson Cruz, the retired baseball player who is the coordinator of the Dominican baseball team to the World Baseball Classic.
Retired baseball players Octavio Dotel and Tony Blanco are among the victims. The Mets Citifield in New York mourned Dotel with a pre-game ceremony on 8 April. Reportedly, Dotel was rescued alive but died on the way to the hospital.
The death toll is yet to be known after the concrete roof collapsed on top of a full house of patrons that had bought tickets to merengue star Rubby Perez concert. On Tuesday, Rubby Perez’s family confirmed he had been found dead. He had kept singing to help rescuers find him. His daughter, who was performing on stage as part of the concert survived, but his saxophonist Luis Solis, is reported dead.
The concerts at the nightclub had capacity for 700 persons seated and 1,000 standing. There were 267 reservations that evening, with some reservations for tables of 10 people.
The Dominican Republic had awoken to the news of the JetSet Club tragedy on Tuesday, 8 April 2025. The tragedy was more so because JetSet was an iconic place. A place where people of all ages and social strata congregated for an evening of the best in tropical music dancing. The pre-collapse videos shared on social media showed the nightclub was packed for the Rubby Perez merengue concert.
As reported, among those who died that evening was newlywed Alexandra Grullon, daughter of the late founder of the Banco Popular and her husband Eduardo Guarionex Estrella Cruz, son of Public Works Minister Eduardo Estrella. She was celebrating the birthday of Jhoanna Rodriguez, wife of her brother Eduardo Grullon, president of the Popular AFP. Alexandra Grullon was the director of the QIK digital banking division at the Popular.
President Luis Abinader was at the site late on Tuesday evening to give a hug to his Public Works Minister who was there awaiting news on whether his son would make it out alive.
The tragedy occurred when near 1am the entire roof collapsed burying behind the artist and patrons under concrete debris. The specialized Air Force unit, Huron, trained in search and rescue operations from debris, was prompt at the site. 22 government institutions deployed resources to assist the victims under the coordination of the Committee for Emergency Operations (COE).
The happening sent shock waves through Dominican society. The government requested that to facilitate the rescue operations and transfers to hospitals from the discotheque on Av. Independencia, people only carry out essential activities to leave free the roads. Most activities in the city were canceled. Normally crowded streets were rid of traffic and by the early afternoon it seemed people chose to stay home to collectively mourn the tragedy.
Reports are that the medical system worked and immediately ample supplies of blood were sent to the leading hospitals that were receiving the victims. The 911 system distributed the survivors to private and public emergencies. People were also asked to donate blood for the many victims in an operation coordinated by the Hemocentro. Blood donation stations were organized at the parking areas of the Customs Agency on Av. Abraham Lincoln and at the Olympic Center through 7pm.
Retired General Juan Manuel Mendez of the Commission for Emergency Operations (COE) gave updates to the press around every half hour. The toll of deaths continued to climb. The tragedy is the most deadly in recent history of the Dominican Republic, only surpassed by the 400 that died during Hurricane Georges in 1998.
The number of dead has been climbing. The last report as of 6am on 9 April was of 113 dead and 155 injured. The rescue operation had continued through the night.
Reports are that some of the patrons had perceived falling debris and were able to leave in time, but most are said to have been caught inside, dying immediately under the weight of the debris.
Iris Peña, who was in the discotheque that evening, told Channel 9 that it felt as if an earthquake had happened.
The chief executive of the club, Antonio Espaillat, was abroad at the time. In a statement, JetSet Club said:
“Last night, a tragedy occurred that has deeply struck the hearts of all of us who are part of Jet Set and all Dominicans. The loss of human lives leaves us in a state of profound pain and sorrow.
“In this difficult moment, our prayers are with each of the affected families. We share their pain as if it were our own, because we are also in mourning.
We are fully and transparently cooperating with the competent authorities to assist the victims and clarify what happened.
“From the very beginning, we have activated all possible mechanisms to provide support to those affected.
“Additionally, we inform you that the renowned communicator María Elena Núñez has agreed to be our official spokesperson during this complex time.
“From now on, she will be the one to provide clear, responsible, and consistent information to the public and the media.
“We join in the expressions of solidarity from across the country in this unexpected and painful situation.
With respect and deep sorrow,
The Jet Set family.”
The Jetset Club was opened in 1973 by Grecia Lopez, when she converted the El Portal movie house into a nightclub. From its early days, JetSet became famous for its live shows with leading tropical music groups – merengue, salsa and bachata.
The business prospered and was taken over by her son Antonio Espaillat. Espaillat would go on to become a media guru, now behind the RCC Media company that also has the 106.5FM radio station.
In preliminary speculations on what could have happened, the comments have focused on the apparent structural failure and the possibility of a combination of overloading with lighting, music, air conditioning, power plant equipment, regular seismic activity, and material deterioration leading to the beams inability to withstand the stresses for which the roof was not originally designed more than 50 years ago.
The inquiries into what caused the collapse will be forthcoming once efforts to rescue the victims conclude. The president of the Dominican Engineers, Architects and Surveyors Association (Codia), Carlos Mendoza said on Esta Noche con Mariasela on Channel 9 that a committee has been named with the participation of the Codia and once the rescue operations conclude a review could be available in a week’s time. He advanced what is clear is that the structure failed. He mentioned the structure had been built for a movie house and the discotheque is another situation.
N Digital reports that Jet Set had been remodeled twice, once in 2010 and again in 2015 that included the installation of a new stage, new lighting, a new dance floor, new bars, a second level VIP area, large disco balls, and large high tech video screens.
On 25 July 2023, a fire had impacted the power plants of the JetSet, after reportedly being impacted by lightning.
International media is following the tragedy.
The worst previous similar tragedy in the DR was that of the San Cristobal store roof collapse driven by a chemical explosion with 42 dead and 12 still missing in 2023.
Read more:
Presidency
Presidency
Noticias SIN
Noticias SIN
Noticias SIN
Diario Libre
Diario Libre
Diario Libre
Diario Libre
Listin Diario
Diario Libre
Diario Libre
N Digital
N Digital
N Digital
Today
El Caribe
El Caribe
Esta Noche con Mariasela
Color Vision
CNN Español
9 April 2025