The Prague Post - Dominican Republic ends search for nightclub collapse survivors

The death toll in the Caribbean nation's worst disaster in decades stood at 124 before emergency personnel announced they had found 20 more bodies on Wednesday afternoon.

"We are recovering 20 bodies that we spotted, and already have (pulled) 12 out," said Jose Luis Frometa Herasme, head of the fire service in the capital Santo Domingo, where Tuesday's tragedy occurred.

"Today we will complete the rescue effort," he said, adding that fire fighters aimed to also finish securing the disaster site.

The disaster at the Jet Set nightclub, a fixture of Santo Domingo's nightlife for half a century, sent shockwaves through the Caribbean nation.

Over 500 people were also injured when the roof caved in while renowned merengue singer Rubby Perez was performing for a crowd of hundreds in the early hours of Tuesday.

Perez himself died in the calamity, as well as two former Major League Baseball players.

Relatives of some of the people trapped under the rubble waited desperately for news of their loved ones, either outside the ruined club, at local hospitals or the morgue.

But no survivors had been found in over 24 hours when rescuers announced plans to halt the search.

- 'A lot of pain' -

Antonio Hernandez, whose son worked at the Jet Set nightclub, told AFP his hopes of finding his son alive had begun to fade with each passing hour as he watched more and more bodies, but no survivors, being retrieved.

The remains in one body bag resembled his son's height and build, said Hernandez, but he did not investigate. "I don't have the stomach to find out the worst yet."

Over 300 rescue workers had spent two days combing through mounds of fallen bricks, steel bars and tin sheets, supported by firefighters from Puerto Rico and Israel.

Aerial images of the site showed a scene resembling the aftermath of an earthquake, with a gaping hole where the club's roof had been.

Mercedes Lopez said she was in a lot of pain as she waited to learn the fate of her son.

"We haven't found him on the lists or in the hospitals," she said.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio sent his condolences Wednesday and said at least one US citizen was among the victims.

"Our hearts go out to the families and loved ones affected by this devastating event," he wrote on X.

- Merengue 'idol' mourned-

Local media said there were between 500 and 1,000 people in the club when disaster struck around 12:44 am (0444 GMT) Tuesday. The club can hold 1,700 people.

A video posted on social media showed the venue suddenly plunged into darkness while Perez was singing.

The star's daughter Zulinka managed to escape but her father did not. His body was recovered Wednesday.

Tributes to the singer, known for hits such as "Volvere" and "Enamorado de Ella," poured in from across Latin America.

"Maestro, what a great pain you leave us," Puerto Rican Grammy-winning singer Olga Tanon wrote on social media.

Perez's former band leader Wilfrido Vargas said he was "devastated" at the death of an "idol of our genre."

The baseball world meanwhile mourned the death of Octavio Dotel, a 51-year-old baseball pitcher who won the World Series with the St Louis Cardinals in 2011 and Tony Blanco, 45, who also played in the United States.

President Luis Abinader declared three days of national mourning.

- 'Dirt started falling' -

Iris Pena, a survivor, told local television that she made for the door after "dirt started falling like dust" into her drink and then a stone fell and cracked the table where she was sitting.

"The impact was so strong, as if it had been a tsunami or an earthquake," she said.

The Instagram page of the Jet Set club said it has been in operation for more than 50 years, with shows every Monday until the early hours.

The disaster is one of the worst in recent memory in the Caribbean nation.

In 2005, more than 130 prisoners in the east of the country died in a fire caused by a fight between inmates.

burs-jt/cb/jgc

M.Jelinek--TPP