Sawt Falasteen - At least 18 dead in Dominican Republic nightclub roof collapse

Some 400 rescue personnel were at the Jet Set nightclub in the Caribbean nation's capital Santo Domingo, authorities said, with dozens of ambulances on standby.

Local media said there were between 500 and 1,000 people in the club when the roof came down following a sudden blackout during a performance by renowned merengue singer Rubby Perez, who was also trapped in the rubble.

Among the dead was the governor of the Monte Cristi municipality, Nelsy Cruz, who died of her injuries in hospital, according to President Luis Abinader.

"We have 18 dead; we continue working with the various institutions that are part of the national emergency center," Juan Manuel Mendez, director of the Emergency Operations Center (COE), told journalists.

An initial toll had said 15 people were killed.

Mendez said rescuers could hear people in the rubble crying out for help.

He said there have been 121 trips to hospital with between "two and three" injured people per ambulance.

"As long as there is hope for life, all authorities will be working to recover or rescue these people," Mendez said.

Perez's daughter Zulinka said the singer, 69, was still at the scene of the disaster.

"I don't know if they have him in an ambulance because they're not letting me through."

Local media published images of a construction crane at the scene.

"We are rescuing all the people we can save alive and recovering those bodies we find along the way. But we have focused on people we can rescue alive because we hear them asking for help," Mendez said of the ongoing operation.

Abinader said on X the government has "been following the case minute by minute since it happened," before rushing to the scene himself.

"The main objective is to save lives... We are deeply affected," he said on his arrival.

N.Awad--SF-PST