Terrifying new video shows the moment the roof of a packed Dominican Republic nightclub suddenly collapsed, killing at least 113 people — including World Series baseball champ Octavio Dotel — and trapping dozens more under piles of rubble.
Chunks of dust could be seen falling from the ceiling of the crowded Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo late Tuesday as hordes of clubgoers — including musicians, professional athletes, and government officials — packed the dancefloor, one sickening clip shows.
Pieces of ceiling debris appeared to be scattered on the floor as a handful of concerned women were filmed trying to move away while Merengue singer Rubby Pérez — one of those killed in the tragedy — sang on stage in the background.
A terrifying video shows the moment the roof of a packed Dominican Republic nightclub suddenly collapsed Tuesday, killing at least 113 people and trapping dozens more under piles of rubble. via limaelvis06/XJust seconds later, the roof caved in, sending huge concrete slabs crashing onto the dance floor as onlookers screamed out in terror.
As of Wednesday, 113 deaths had already been confirmed, and more than 255 people were injured, authorities said.
The dead included Dotel and another ex-MLB slugger, Tony Blanco.
Rescue crews shushed crowds at the scene early Wednesday so they could listen for any faint cries for help buried under the remnants of the iconic club.
Pieces of ceiling debris appeared to be scattered on the floor as a handful of concerned women were filmed trying to move away. via limaelvis06/X
Seconds later, the roof caved in, sending huge concrete slabs crashing onto the dance floor as onlookers screamed out in terror, according to the video. via limaelvis06/X
Investigators are probing the cause of the roof collapse, according to reports. AP“We’re hearing some sounds,” Center of Emergency Operations Director Juan Manuel Méndez said, adding crews were focusing on three specific areas.
“We presume that many of them are still alive, and that is why the authorities here will not give up until not a single person remains under that rubble.”
Follow the latest on the tragic roof collapse at a Dominican Republic nightclub:
- Terrifying moment Dominican Republic nightclub’s roof collapses, killing 113 and trapping dozens
- Dominican Republic nightclub collapse that killed 231 likely caused by ‘excess weight’: experts
- Singer Rubby Pérez, who performed at Dominican Republic nightclub during roof collapse, declared dead
- MLB world mourns Octavio Dotel, Tony Blanco after deaths in nightclub tragedy: ‘Heartbroken’
Desperate family and friends gathered at the scene as firefighters removed blocks of broken concrete and used wood planks to lift heavy debris as the noise of drills breaking through concrete filled the air amid the search.
Those confirmed dead included Pérez, the merengue singer who was performing at the time, as well as former MLB players Dotel and Blanco.
Rescue teams evacuate a body from the Jet Set nightclub following the collapse of its roof in Santo Domingo on April 8, 2025. AFP via Getty Images
First responders frantically continued scouring the rubble early Wednesday in the hopes of pulling more survivors from the remnants of the iconic Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo. Prensa Servicio 911/AFP via Getty ImagesDotel, who debuted for the New York Mets in 1999 and played until 2013 for more than a dozen teams, died en route to a local hospital after being pulled from the debris, a spokesman for the nation’s sports ministry said.
Officials are still trying to determine exactly how many people were inside the club at the time.
Investigators, too, are probing the cause of the roof collapse.
With Post wires
