Death toll of Dominican Republic nightclub roof collapse rises to 231
The family of one victim have pressed charges against the club’s owners
The death toll of last week's nightclub roof collapse disaster in the Dominican Republic has risen to 231, the BBC reports.
The fatal incident took place in the early hours of Tuesday, April 8, during a concert at Jet Set, a popular nightclub in Santa Domingo. More than 300 people were gathered inside watching a performance from merengue singer Rubby Pérez, who died in the incident.
The day after the club roof’s collapse on April 9, the National Emergency System confirmed that at least 98 people had died, and a further 223 were injured.
According to local officials, the death toll has now risen to 231 just a week after the incident. Faride Raful, Minister of Interior and Police of the Dominican Republic, said that 189 people were pulled from the rubble alive.
A family of one of the victims has become the first to press charges against Jet Set’s owners. Other families of the deceased have said that they will also file lawsuits against the owners, per the BBC.
The wife and parents of a local police lieutenant who died in the incident, Virgilio Rafael Cruz Aponte, said that they will bring manslaughter charges against the venue’s owners, also accusing the local government of neglecting safety checks of the venue.
An investigation into the incident is ongoing, and is expected to take several months, according to officials. The club’s owner, Antonio Espaillat, said that he was fully co-operating with the police investigation.
Burials for those who died in the collapse have begun. A memorial was hosted at Santa Domingo’s National Theatre on Friday, April 11, for singer Rubby Pérez, who passed away on the night of the incident.
[Via BBC]
Gemma Ross is Mixmag's Associate Digital Editor, follow her on Twitter