What to know about the roof collapse at an iconic club in the Dominican Republic that killed 221

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — The roof of an iconic nightclub in the Dominican capital collapsed during a merengue concert this week, killing at least 221 people and injuring over 200. Politicians, athletes and a fashion designer were among those enjoying live music at the Jet Set club in Santo Domingo when disaster struck early on Tuesday.

Officials have said it’s too soon to determine why the roof fell, although prosecutors visited the scene on Thursday after rescue crews began packing up and removed heavy equipment. Meanwhile, dozens of people who had waited at hospitals and the forensics institute for information on their loved ones demanded the return of their bodies as they donned face masks and complained about a bad odor outside the institute.

The roof collapsed nearly an hour after the start of the concert headed by beloved singer Rubby Pérez at Jet Set, a club known for its Monday night merengue parties that drew international celebrities and high-profile Dominicans.

A video posted on social media shows parts of the roof falling and people starting to move away seconds before the entire roof collapses onto them.

Nelsy Cruz, the governor of Montecristi province and sister of seven-time Major League Baseball All-Star Nelson Cruz, alerted Dominican President Luis Abinader to the disaster, calling him from under the debris, according to first lady Raquel Abraje. Officials said Nelsy Cruz later died at a hospital.

Authorities say it’s too early to determine the cause of the disaster. Firefighters removed slabs of broken concrete and created makeshift planks in an effort to reach survivors buried under the debris. Officials say 189 survivors were rescued from the rubble.

It’s unclear how often government officials inspect buildings in the Dominican Republic or when Jet Set was last inspected.

A Ministry of Public Works spokesperson referred The Associated Press to the mayor’s office for comment. A spokesperson for the mayor’s office could not be reached.

Jet Set's owners, who issued a statement saying they were cooperating with authorities, were also not reachable for comment.

Relatives of merengue singer Rubby Pérez, who was performing when the roof collapsed, initially said he had been rescued. But Juan Manuel Méndez, director of the Center of Emergency Operations, said his body was found early Wednesday.

The singer’s manager, Enrique Paulino, said the group’s saxophonist also died.

The Professional Baseball League of the Dominican Republic posted on X that former MLB pitcher Octavio Dotel was pulled from the debris but died at a hospital. Also killed was Dominican baseball player Tony Enrique Blanco Cabrera, league spokesperson Satosky Terrero said.

Other victims include a retired U.N. 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.

Dominicans who wanted to help the injured donated more than 54 gallons (429 pints) of blood, authorities said.

The legendary club in southern Santo Domingo has operated for nearly five decades, with “Jet Set Mondays” featuring local and international merengue artists.

The club and restaurant, which opened in 1973, was the most popular venue of its kind in the Dominican Republic, according to the newspaper Listín Diario.

It later relocated and celebrated its first anniversary at the new location with merengue and salsa icon Johnny Ventura. The club underwent renovations in 2010 and 2015, and it was struck by lightning in 2023, according to the newspaper.

General admission tickets for Monday’s concert with Rubby Pérez were $32, while the VIP ones were $40, according to the club’s website.

The government ended the search for survivors and victims on Thursday, announcing that crews worked for 53 hours nonstop since arriving at the scene.

More than 20 people remained hospitalized as of Thursday evening, with eight of them in critical condition, doctors said.

An in-depth investigation into the collapse is expected. Authorities have not released any preliminary findings or commented on what might have caused it.

Relatives waited at the nation's forensics institute as it worked to identify victims, while others went from hospital to hospital looking for their loved ones, some clutching photographs.

Many of those injured were in critical or serious condition with broken bones.

Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america

A rescue worker comforts a woman during the search for survivors at the Jet Set nightclub after its roof collapsed two nights prior during a merengue concert in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Ricardo Hernandez)

Rescue workers stand at site of the Jet Set nightclub days after its roof collapsed during a concert, killing more than 200 people in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

Rescue workers carry a person pulled from the wreckage of the Jet Set nightclub after its roof collapsed during a merengue concert in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Tuesday, April 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Ricardo Hernandez)

The hat and sunglasses of Dominican singer Rubby Perez, who died in the roof collapse at the Jet Set nightclub during his merengue concert, sit on his casket during his wake at the Eduardo Brito National Theater in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

Rescue workers stand at the Jet Set nightclub after its roof collapsed, killing more than 200 people in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

Colonel Valdez speaks to reporters at the National Institute of Forensic Pathology in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Wednesday, April 9, 2025, while holding photos of people who remain missing after a roof collapsed at the Jet Set nightclub during a merengue concert. (AP Photo/Marvin Del Cid)

A woman touches a photo of one of the missing during the search for survivors at the Jet Set nightclub after its roof collapsed two nights prior during a merengue concert in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Ricardo Hernandez)

Rescue workers stand next to a recovered body of a victim who died when the roof collapsed two nights prior at the Jet Set nightclub during a merengue concert, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Wednesday, April 9, 2025, (AP Photo/Ricardo Hernandez)

People hold up photos of their relatives while waiting to identify them at the National Institute of Forensic Pathology after the roof collapsed at Jet Set nightclub during a merengue concert in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Tuesday, April 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Ricardo Hernandez)

Rescue workers search for bodies at the Jet Set nightclub after its roof collapsed during a merengue concert in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

Rescue workers search for survivors at the Jet Set nightclub after its roof collapsed during a merengue concert in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Tuesday, April 8, 2025.(Noticias SIN via AP)

People gather outside the Jet Set nightclub after its roof collapsed during a merengue concert in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Tuesday, April 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Ricardo Hernandez)

Rescue workers use sheets as they recover bodies from the rubble at the Jet Set nightclub after its roof collapsed two nights prior during a merengue concert in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Ricardo Hernandez)

People cry during the search for survivors amid the rubble of the Jet Set nightclub after its roof collapsed two nights prior during a merengue concert in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Ricardo Hernandez)

Soldiers arrive to the area where rescue workers search for survivors at the Jet Set nightclub after its roof collapsed two nights prior during a merengue concert in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Ricardo Hernandez)

People searching for their missing relatives peruse a list of names outside the Jet Set nightclub after its roof collapsed during a merengue concert in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Tuesday, April 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Ricardo Hernandez)

Relatives of missing people embrace while waiting at the National Institute of Forensic Pathology after the roof collapsed at Jet Set nightclub during a merengue concert in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Tuesday, April 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Ricardo Hernandez)

Rescue workers search for survivors at the Jet Set nightclub after its roof collapsed during a merengue concert in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Tuesday, April 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Eddy Vittini)

Rescue workers carry a person pulled from the wreckage of the nightclub after its roof collapsed during a merengue concert in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Tuesday, April 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Eddy Vittini)

Rescue workers search for survivors at the Jet Set nightclub after its roof collapsed during a merengue concert in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Tuesday, April 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Eddy Vittini)

MIAMI (AP) — Here's a guide what you need to know about Sunday's Miami F1 Grand Prix. It's the sixth round of the 2025 Formula 1 season.

— In the U.S., on ABC.

— Other countries are listed here.

— Friday: First practice and qualifying for the sprint race.

— Saturday: Sprint race and qualifying for the Grand Prix.

— Sunday: Miami Grand Prix, 57 laps of the 5.4-kilometer (3.4-mile) Miami International Autodrome. Starts at 4 p.m. ET (2000 GMT).

The Miami International Autodrome brings a Florida party vibe to F1 with yachts set up on a mock harbor trackside as VIP viewing platforms. It's the fourth time F1 has visited the temporary track, which loops around Hard Rock Stadium. Overtaking can be difficult and barriers close to the track punish mistakes. Max Verstappen won the first two races in Miami but last year there was a statement win for Lando Norris and McLaren. Heat and tire wear could favor McLaren again this year.

Oscar Piastri won the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix to become the first Australian to lead the F1 standings since 2010. The key moment was at the first corner when Piastri challenged Verstappen for the lead and the Dutch driver went off track and rejoined in front. Verstappen was given a penalty and lost the lead at his pit stop. McLaren remains the top team on all-round pace. Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren have all challenged for wins on different tracks but haven't adapted well when conditions don't suit their cars.

Get caught up:

— Max Verstappen delighted at birth of his first child with partner Kelly Piquet

— No team orders: McLaren plans to ‘let ‘em race’ as Piastri and Norris battle for F1 championship

— Russell not impressed by FIA hinting at relaxing rules against cursing and code of driver conduct

— McLaren driver Oscar Piastri wins F1’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix to take overall lead

— ‘I cannot share my opinion’: Max Verstappen stays tight-lipped on race-deciding penalty

— Is the punishment for cursing in F1 too harsh? Racing boss hints at changes after driver backlash

— General Motors’ plans to supply Formula 1 engines from 2029 are approved by the FIA

— FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem picks a longtime Ford partner for top sports role

3 — Oscar Piastri is aiming for his third win in a row. The last Australian driver to achieve that feat in F1 was Alan Jones in 1981.

0/3 — None of Miami's three Grand Prix races so far have been won by the driver who started on the pole. Norris won last year from fifth on the grid.

77 — McLaren's lead in the constructors' championship over Mercedes, the only other team with even half of McLaren's 188-point haul.

“Let ’em race.” — McLaren boss Zak Brown on the championship battle between Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.

“We (drivers) are clear we want changes. And once they are implemented, then we’ll comment.” — George Russell on relaxing rules against cursing and code of driver conduct.

“I want to be leading (the championship) after round 24, not round five.” — Oscar Piastri.

“You can’t share your opinion because it’s not appreciated, apparently, or people can’t handle the full truth.” — Max Verstappen refuses to discuss his crucial penalty at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

“We just need a better car.” — Ferrari's Charles Leclerc after finishing third in Saudi Arabia.

AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

Race winner McLaren driver Oscar Piastri of Australia, second right, poses with second placed Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands, left, and third placed Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc of Monaco, right, after the Formula One Saudi Arabian Grand Prix at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

McLaren driver Oscar Piastri of Australia celebrates after winning the Formula One Saudi Arabian Grand Prix at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

McLaren driver Oscar Piastri of Australia celebrates after winning the Formula One Saudi Arabian Grand Prix at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Sunday, April 20, 2025.(AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

McLaren driver Oscar Piastri of Australia celebrates on the podium after winning the Formula One Saudi Arabian Grand Prix at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)