Officials scramble to identify Dominican club roof collapse victims as death toll surges
Crews at the scene still looking for victims and potential survivors
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 Méndez, 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 odour 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 people 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 have already delivered 28 bodies to their families but do not yet have a tally of all the bodies recovered. Officials said more than 250 people were injured.
"The authorities are selling us false dreams!" cried out José Sánchez, whose brother and brother-in-law were still missing.
Merengue icon among victims
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 dancefloor 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 Méndez.
Rescue crews are still searching for survivors more than 24 hours after the collapse. Officials said Wednesday they have rescued 145 people from the wreckage of the nightclub.
"As long as they report that there is a missing person, we will be here," Méndez said.
Rescue crews from Puerto Rico and Israel arrived Wednesday to help with the search. Officials said crews used sonar to detect what could be one person still breathing under the rubble.
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 from Costa Rica who was on vacation but joined the search because he's part of a rescue crew back home.
Only 54 people identified so far
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 and the brother of the vice minister of the Ministry of Youth.
Also killed was 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 died later 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 daughters. Grupo Popular, a financial services company, said three of its employees also died, including the president of AFP Popular Bank and his wife.
Dozens of victims remain unidentified.
"I have been to many hospitals, and I have not found her," Deysi Suriel said of her friend, 61-year-old Milca Curiel, who lived in North Carolina and was on vacation in the Dominican Republic.
More than 20 hospitalized with serious injuries
More than 20 of the injured remained hospitalized Wednesday, including at least eight in critical condition.
"A point in their favour 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.
Landrón 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.
At least 33 bodies not yet identified
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 pictures of them.
"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. Her sister, Rosa Herminia Pérez, died, and she described her as "beautiful, precious, very nice."
"I'm in a lot of pain," she said. "I have had many moments of despair."
Officials later said they had at least 33 bodies they have not been able to identify.
"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 favourite place, they went there almost every Monday," Jones said, adding that 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 co-operating 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.
With files from CBC News