Officials scramble to identify victims of Dominican club roof collapse that killed 184
Santo Domingo (AP): The number of victims who died after a roof collapsed at an iconic nightclub surged to 184 late Wednesday as dozens of people lingered outside the Dominican Republic's forensic institute for news of their loved ones still missing more than a day after disaster struck.
Juan Manuel Mendez, director of the Centre of Emergency Operations, said crews at the scene were still looking for victims and potential survivors, although no one has been found alive since Tuesday afternoon.
“We're not going to abandon anyone. Our work will continue,” he said.
Several blocks away from the rubble, people searching for friends and family donned face masks and began complaining about a bad odor as they pleaded with officials to give them information about their loved ones.
Earlier in the day, National Institute of Forensic Pathology officials read the names of 54 victims they had identified so far.
“We cannot wait until nighttime!” said one woman who was waiting for news of a relative whose name she did not hear. “We're going to go crazy!”
Officials called for calm, saying they had already delivered at least 28 bodies to their families but did not yet have a tally of all the bodies recovered. Late Wednesday, officials raised the number of dead to at least 184, with over 200 injured.
“The authorities are selling us false dreams!” cried out José Sánchez, whose brother and brother-in-law were still missing.
The collapse
The legendary Jet Set club in Santo Domingo was packed with musicians, professional athletes and government officials when dust began falling from the ceiling and into people's drinks early Tuesday.
Minutes later, the entire roof collapsed. Concrete slabs killed some instantly and trapped dozens of others on a dance floor where hundreds had been dancing to a lively merengue concert. In the minutes that followed, the country's 911 system received more than 100 calls, many from people buried under rubble.
The victims include merengue icon Rubby Pérez, who had been singing to the crowd before disaster struck. His body was found early Wednesday, said emergency operations director Juan Manuel Méndez.
The government announced Wednesday evening that it was suspending the search for survivors and moving into the recovery phase after 145 people were rescued from the wreckage of the nightclub. Rescue crews from Puerto Rico and Israel had arrived early Wednesday to help with the search.
Santo Domingo Mayor Carolina Mejía praised what she said were acts of love, including one Dominican who was handing out coffee to those at the scene and a man on vacation from Costa Rica who joined the search because he's part of a rescue crew back home.
The victims
So far, only a few dozen people have been identified in one of the worst disasters to hit the Dominican Republic. Those who died include a cardiologist, a government architect, a retired police officer, a retired United Nations official, the son and daughter-in-law of the minister of public works and the brother of the vice minister of the Ministry of Youth.
Also killed was former MLB pitcher Octavio Dotel and Dominican player Tony Enrique Blanco Cabrera, Satosky Terrero, spokesperson for the country's Professional Baseball League, told The Associated Press.
Nelsy Cruz, the governor of the northwestern province of Montecristi and sister of seven-time Major League Baseball All-Star Nelson Cruz, alerted President Luis Abinader about the disaster. She called him from underneath the rubble but later died at a hospital.
Other victims include saxophonist Luis Solís, who was playing onstage when the roof fell; New York-based fashion designer Martín Polanco; several Venezuelan bartenders; and an Army captain who left behind four young girls. Grupo Popular, a financial services company, said three of its employees also died, including the president of AFP Popular Bank and his wife. One man tearfully told reporters that he lost five relatives, including his wife and son.
Dozens of victims remained unidentified.
“I have been to many hospitals, and I have not found her,” Deysi Suriel said of her friend, 61-year-old Milca Curiel, a North Carolina resident who was on vacation in the Dominican Republic.
Health Minister Dr. Víctor Elías Atallah Lajam announced the creation of a commission to provide psychological help for the victims' families.
More than 20 of the injured remained hospitalized Wednesday, including at least eight in critical condition.
“A point in their favor is that they're young,” said Dr. Julio Landrón, director general of the Dr. Ney Arias Lora Trauma Hospital, which has 21 of the Jet Set injured, including five in critical condition.
Landron warned, however, that none of them are in the clear, noting some suffered fractures in the skull, femur and pelvis.
“They spent hours, more than six, seven, eight hours under rubble with multiple fractures, multiple injuries, with bleeding related to being crushed,” he said.
The search
Dozens of frantic relatives listened to officials read aloud a list of the identified victims at the forensics institute, while others went from hospital to hospital looking for their loved ones, some clutching photographs.
“Francisco Alberto Méndez ... Rosa Herminia Pérez ... Ramón Teodoro Jiménez ... Juan Manuel Santana,” one official read as the crowd strained to listen.
“Here! Here!” yelled one person upon hearing the name of their loved one.
In the crowd was Virginia Rosario, who was looking for relatives including her cousin, who is still missing, and her sister, Rosa Herminia Pérez, who died and whom she described as “beautiful, precious, very nice.”
“I'm in a lot of pain,” she said. “I have had many moments of despair.”
Officials said late Wednesday morning that they had not been able to identify at least 33 bodies.
“This is a very traumatic situation,” said national lawmaker Pedro Martínez, who also has relatives missing.
Among those searching for friends and family was Kimberly Jones, whose godson, 45-year-old artist Osiris Blanc, and his friends were missing.
“It was their favorite place, they went there almost every Monday,” Jones said. She said her niece also was missing.
It wasn't immediately clear what caused the roof to collapse, or when the Jet Set building was last inspected.
The club issued a statement saying it was cooperating with authorities. A spokesperson for the family that owns the club told The Associated Press that she passed along questions about potential inspections.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Public Works referred questions to the mayor's office. A spokesperson for the mayor's office did not respond to a request for comment.
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“Full prepared..going to win,” Congress MP KC Venugopal ahead of Kerala polls
EC not functioning as a neutral institution: Venugopal
Congress MP K. C. Venugopal on Monday raised concerns over the election schedule announced by the Election Commission of India for the upcoming Kerala Assembly election, questioning the timing of the poll dates and alleging that the schedule leaves limited time for campaigning.
Speaking to news agency ANI in Delhi after the poll panel announced elections in five states and Union Territories, Venugopal said that the Congress and the United Democratic Front (UDF) are fully prepared for the elections and confident of victory. At the same time, he questioned the pattern of dates announced by the Election Commission.
“We are fully prepared, we are going to win the elections... You can see how the Election Commission has set the dates. The first phase of elections is on the 9th, nominations are due until the 23rd, scrutiny is on the 24th, nominations can be withdrawn until the 26th, and after that, there are 11 days for campaigning,” he said.
“As for Kerala, there is Easter and Good Friday in the first week...The Election Commission could have announced the dates earlier... The counting date is on May 4th, so what was the point of holding elections in Kerala so early? What is their intention behind holding elections on the same day in Kerala, Puducherry, and Assam?... We are confident that we will win, but the people of the country are seeing the biased attitude of the Election Commission...,” he added.
He further stated that his party was ready for elections irrespective of the dates announced by the poll body.
“We are going to win the election. India's strategy has been set up. And we are all ready for winning this election. But one thing as far as declaring election, even though they are giving only for five days, we are going to win the election. We have no problem,” he said.
Detailing the poll schedule while questioning the time available for campaigning, he stated, “but you can see the pattern of date which the election commission announced. Yesterday they declared election, and today they notified us. The first phase of election on April 9th, filing of nomination will be over on the 23rd of this month, 24th scrutiny, 26th withdrawal of nomination. After 26, four plus seven, 11 days campaign.”
“As far as Kerala is concerned, April first week is a holy week. The holiday week means, Good Friday is there. Nobody will do anything on Good Friday. Easter is the big festival. These festivals are natural, you have to see that. Among the 11 days, working days, two, three days will go for holidays. Then hardly seven, eight days for campaigning in this election for candidates,” the Congress MP questioned.
The Congress leader said the Election Commission could have announced the dates earlier if there was a need for an early election schedule.
Questioning the urgency behind placing Kerala in the first phase of polling, he added that the counting date is much later.
“Which is the date of counting? Fourth May. Then what is the urgency of putting Kerala in the first phase without giving sufficient time for candidates? And putting Kerala, Puducherry, Assam together, what is the intention behind that?” Venugopal questioned.
He also alleged that the Election Commission was not functioning as a neutral institution.
“The Election commission is completely losing that capacity as a neutral player. You can see 14 of our prime minister's programs over and on the 15th they announce the election, 16th notification comes,” he said.
Venugopal further stated that such tactics would not affect the Congress’ prospects in the election.
“They think that this type of techniques and tactics, because of these techniques and tactics, UDF is going to lose, and Congress is going to lose. This is their complete dream only. This is not going to happen. We are very much confident at any cost, whether they are not giving any time also, we are going to win the election,” he said.
“But the people of India are watching this. The tricks of the election commission. To restrict the campaign, people of India are watching. This I want to bring into the notice of the nation. That's all,” Venugopal said.
The Election Commission of India on Sunday announced the schedule for the Kerala Assembly election. Polling in the state will be held in a single phase on April 9 while the counting of votes is scheduled to take place on May 4.
