Dominican Republic: Nightclub roof collapse kills 79

In the Dominican Republic, at least 79 people have been killed, including a provincial governor, after the roof of a famous nightclub in the capital, Santo Domingo, collapsed. The catastrophe has left at least 150 people injured. The head of the emergency operations centre has said that efforts to rescue those trapped under the debris are underway. According to local media, there were between 500 and 1,000 people in the club when disaster struck on Tuesday, however, the exact number remains unclear. The roof collapse happened during a concert which was being attended by politicians, athletes and other prominent figures. Some 400 emergency crew were still working to pull survivors from the rubble as families of the victims gathered at the site searching for their loved ones.Renowned Dominican merengue singer Rubby Perez, who was on stage at the popular Jet Set nightclub when the roof caved in shortly after midnight, was one of those caught up in the calamity. Several local media outlets later reported that Perez had been found dead but Juan Manuel Mendez, director of the Emergency Operations Center, said forensics experts had "not confirmed that they found the body."
The club has capacity for 700 people seated and about 1,000 people standing. Dozens of ambulances ferried the injured to hospital, as scores of people gathered outside the venue desperately seeking news of their loved ones.Also among the dead was the governor of the Monte Cristi municipality, Nelsy Cruz, according to President Luis Abinader. President Abinader visited the scene and declared three days of national mourning.Tourism generates about 15 percent of GDP, with visitors attracted by its Caribbean beaches, music and nightlife, as well as the colonial architecture of Santo Domingo.