Owner of Dominican club whose roof collapsed and killed 236 arrested along with sister
_vb_05.jpeg)
Santo Domingo (AP): The owner of an iconic nightclub in the Dominican Republic whose roof collapsed in April and killed 236 people was arrested on Thursday along with his sister.
Antonio Espaillat and Maribel Espaillat have not been charged in the case, although authorities have 48 hours to present any charges before a judge.
"Both defendants displayed immense irresponsibility and negligence by failing to physically intervene to prevent the club's roof from collapsing, as it ultimately did, causing 236 deaths and more than 180 injuries," the Dominican Republic's Attorney General's Office said in a statement.
Prosecutors accused the Espaillats of trying to intimidate or manipulate company employees, adding that they could serve as witnesses in the case.
An attorney for the Espaillats could not be immediately reached for comment.
The Espaillats were arrested after being interrogated for several hours.
A government-appointed committee that includes international experts is still investigating what caused the roof to collapse.
Crews worked for 53 hours nonstop after arriving on the scene in Santo Domingo shortly after midnight on April 8, rescuing 189 survivors.
The victims included beloved singer Rubby Pérez, who was performing when the roof caved in, and Nelsy Cruz, the governor of Montecristi province and sister of seven-time Major League Baseball All-Star Nelson Cruz.
Also killed was former MLB pitcher Octavio Dotel, who was pulled from the debris but died at a hospital, and Dominican baseball player Tony Enrique Blanco Cabrera.
Other victims include a retired UN official, New York-based fashion designer Martín Polanco, an Army captain who left behind four young girls, and three employees at Grupo Popular, a financial services company, including the president of AFP Popular Bank and his wife.
The club, which had operated for nearly five decades, was known for its Monday night merengue parties that attracted international celebrities and high-profile Dominicans.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Hindus have consolidated, BJP will cross 135 seats in WB: Suvendu Adhikari after early trends
Kolkata: Suvendu Adhikari on Monday said he was confident that the Bharatiya Janata Party would form the government in West Bengal as early counting trends began to emerge.
Speaking after initial trends in the ongoing vote counting, Adhikari said the party was expecting to win more than 135 seats in the state.
He also claimed that Hindu votes had consolidated in favour of the BJP, which, according to him, would translate into victory for the party.
Counting of votes is currently underway, and official results are awaited.
