On Thursday, April 10, grief-stricken Dominicans began holding funerals for loved ones who were among the more than 220 people killed in a nightclub rooftop collapse, even as dozens remained unaccounted for. More than 300 rescuers, aided by corpse-sniffing dogs, have worked tirelessly since disaster struck early Tuesday to pull survivors from the rubble of the Jet Set club in the Dominican Republic's capital of Santo Domingo.
Officials called off the search for live victims on Wednesday night, as efforts shifted to recovering bodies from the mounds of twisted steel, zinc and brick that remain of the structure. Local media had reported that there were between 500 and 1,000 people at the club for a concert by renowned merengue singer Rubby Perez, who was on stage when the roof came down. The 69-year-old died on site, but his daughter made it out alive.
Juan Manuel Mendez, director of the Center for Emergency Operations, put the official death toll at 221 on Thursday, and said 189 people were pulled out of the debris alive. The Dominican Republic has observed three days of national mourning. "Our rescue team is already concluding the search operations," said Mendez.
Health Minister Victor Atallah said earlier that there could be more bodies under the rubble following the Caribbean nation's worst tragedy in decades. "No one will be left unidentified. No one will be left without an answer," he said.
On Thursday, President Luis Abinader attended a memorial for Perez at the National Theater, where family, friends and fans released white balloons as the hearse departed with his remains. "My soul is on the verge of exploding with love," Perez's daughter Zulinka chanted at the ceremony - a lyric from one of the many tunes her father had sung to her as a child. Perez's coffin was surrounded by wreaths and topped with the artist's signature hat and glasses. His beloved songs include "Buscando Tus Besos" and "Volvere."
In the neighboring community of Haina, families held a collective ceremony for about 20 victims, their coffins lined up side-by-side on a basketball court. Among the dead were the governor of the Monte Cristi province, Nelsy Cruz, as well as former Major League Baseball players Octavio Dotel and Tony Blanco. Families gathered at funeral homes Thursday to begin the mourning process, while others were still waiting at hospitals for news about missing loved ones.
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, followed by crashing sounds and screams. Artists from the Dominican Republic, including Dominican-American actress Zoe Saldana, joined the chorus of voices mourning the tragedy via social media Thursday. "In times of loss, we must unite in solidarity and compassion," posted Saldana.