- 218 fatalities confirmed with rescue operations ongoing
- Former MLB players Octavio Dotel and Tony Blanco among victims
- 2023 fire previously damaged collapsed venue structure
- International response from U.S. officials and MLB leadership
Emergency crews continue searching through rubble at Santo Domingo's Jet Set nightclub three days after its roof catastrophically collapsed during a packed Rubby Pérez concert. Authorities confirm this becomes the deadliest structural failure in Caribbean history, surpassing 2010 Haiti supermarket collapse figures.
Dominican engineering associations reveal 42% of entertainment venues fail to meet updated seismic codes implemented after Hurricane Maria. This tragedy exposes systemic enforcement gaps in public space regulations,stated National Architects College president María Tavárez during a press briefing.
The disaster's international impact grows as MLB confirms two former players perished: reliever Octavio Dotel (13-team career) and Nationals outfielder Tony Blanco. Commissioner Manfred emphasized baseball's profound connectionsto Dominican talent pipelines while announcing memorial fund initiatives.
Structural engineers from Miami-Dade County deployed drones to map collapse patterns, identifying compromised support beams from unrepaired 2023 fire damage. Their preliminary findings suggest possible material fatigue exacerbated by recent tropical storm moisture infiltration.
Regional tourism officials report 12% cancellation rates for April bookings as safety concerns spread. The Dominican Hotel Association plans mandatory building inspections for all nightlife establishments, mirroring Jamaica's 2018 post-collapse protocols that reduced venue incidents by 67%.
