On 8 April 2025

On 8 April 2025, the roof of the Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, collapsed during a live performance by merengue musician Rubby Pérez. The structural failure occurred at approximately 12:44 a.m. AST (just after midnight), resulting in 226 fatalities and 189 injuries, making it one of the deadliest non-natural disasters in the country's history.

The nightclub, which had operated since 1973 and undergone renovations in 2010 and 2015, was hosting hundreds of attendees at the time of the collapse. Among the dead were prominent figures such as Monte Cristi governor Nelsy Cruz, former Major League Baseball players Octavio Dotel and Tony Blanco, and Pérez himself. Emergency responders, including international teams, conducted extensive search and rescue operations, though no additional survivors were found after the first day.

Dominican authorities, including President Luis Abinader, declared a six-day national mourning period and launched an investigation into the cause of the collapse. The incident prompted widespread domestic and international reactions, with condolences from government officials, celebrities, and foreign leaders.

Background

The Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo was hosting a concert by merengue musician Rubby Pérez.[2] The nightclub opened in 1973 and underwent renovations in 2010 and 2015. It was also struck by lightning in 2023.[3] The club was famous for playing live dance music on Monday nights, which attracted many well-known people.[4][2] While the nightclub had operated for years, the structural issues were relatively new. The building was originally a cinema, which had different safety regulations.[4]

Collapse

The collapse occurred on 8 April 2025, at 12:44 a.m. AST.[5] At that time, there were between 500 and 1,000 people in the club.[6] Video footage reportedly taken of the concert in the venue showed a concertgoer pointing to the roof, saying that "something fell from the ceiling". Pérez was also looking at the section of the roof. Less than 30 seconds later, a loud noise was recorded and the recording went black, with a woman shouting in Spanish, "Dad, what has happened to you?"[7][8]

According to eyewitness accounts, the roof gave way without warning roughly one hour into the musical performance. The cause of the structural failure remains undetermined, though investigators began examining the site once rescue operations permitted.[7][9] A musician playing alongside Rubby Pérez said that the venue was full at the time of collapse, and that he initially believed an earthquake had occurred.[8] First Lady of the Dominican Republic Raquel Arbaje reported that trapped governor of Monte Cristi Province Nelsy Cruz called President Luis Abinader at 12:49 a.m., shortly after the collapse.[10]