Owner of Dominican club whose roof collapsed and killed 236 arrested along with sister
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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.
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TN surpasses Gujarat, Maharashtra to become India''s top textile exporter
Chennai (PTI): Tamil Nadu has emerged as India's top state in textile exports, recording shipments worth USD 7,997.17 million for the fiscal year 2024-25, which is an increase of 29.12 per cent over the last four years, the government said.
The state has witnessed a 29 per cent increase in export value in the last four years, an official release said.
In 2020-21, Tamil Nadu's textile exports stood at USD 6,193 million.
Chief Minister M K Stalin said Tamil Nadu has successfully outpaced competitors like Gujarat and Maharashtra to secure the first position.
"Tamil Nadu's export volume of textiles, which was USD 6,193.39 million in 2020-21 due to the planned actions of the Dravidian Model government, rose to USD 7,997.17 million in the next four years. Overall, in India's exports, Tamil Nadu accounts for 21.84 per cent," he wrote in a social media post.
As per the National-Import-Export Record for Yearly Analysis of Trade data, the value of textile goods shipped from India was USD 36,610 million, of which Tamil Nadu accounted for USD 7,997.17 million.
The National Import-Export Record for Yearly Analysis of Trade is a dedicated platform launched by the Centre to provide real-time comprehensive data on foreign trade.
"Tamil Nadu is in first place in India in textile export," the release said.
The state has emerged at the top with higher exports among all other states, the release said, adding that schemes implemented by every government department led to a multifaceted growth of the State.
Gujarat bagged the second rank with exports of USD 5,646.01 million followed by Maharashtra at USD 3,831.29 million, it added.
