The owner of a Dominican nightclub whose roof collapsed, killing 232, speaks for the first time

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — A roof that collapsed at a popular nightclub in the Dominican Republic and killed 232 people this month had filtration problems for decades and had been repeatedly fixed with plasterboard, according to its owner.

Antonio Espaillat, who also serves as manager of the Jet Set nightclub in the Dominican capital of Santo Domingo, spoke with local TV station Telesistema on Wednesday in his first interview since the April 8 disaster.

Espaillat told a reporter with El Día news program that employees had added new plasterboard to the roof hours before the collapse.

He noted that plasterboard had fallen repeatedly throughout the years for reasons including water that filtered through the club's air conditioning units. However, Espaillat said no one ever inspected the roof or water filtrations.

''We always bought plasterboard. Always,'' said Espaillat, who spoke in a subdued manner throughout the nearly one-hour interview.

A spokeswoman for Espaillat did not return a message for comment seeking an interview with him.

Espaillat said he learned about the collapse when his sister called him from underneath the debris, trapped along with hundreds of others attending a concert by beloved merengue singer Rubby Pérez, who was among those killed.

''To the families of the victims, I want to say I'm sorry. I'm very sorry,'' Espaillat said. ''I am completely destroyed.''

‘We were all surprised'

Espaillat said he was 6 years old when his mother founded the legendary club 52 years ago. The club later moved to a space occupied by a shuttered movie theater and remained in that location for 30 years until the collapse.

He said there were six air-conditioning units on the roof, plus three water tanks. An electric plant was installed in an adjacent room, not on the roof, he added.

Every six to eight years, a specialized crew would waterproof the roof, with the last waterproofing done about a month before the collapse, he said.

The heavy woofers that boomed music at Jet Set, known for its merengue parties held every Monday, were on the floor, he said.

Espaillat said if there was something he could have done to avoid the collapse, he would have done it.

''There was no warning, nothing. We were all surprised,'' he said.

‘I'm going to face everything'

The Dominican government has created a committee that includes local and international experts tasked with investigating the collapse.

About 515 people were at Jet Set when the roof fell on the crowd, according to Espaillat.

In the 53 hours following the disaster, crews rescued 189 survivors. Dozens of others were hospitalized.

The 232 victims include seven doctors; a retired U.N. official; former MLB players Octavio Dotel and Tony Enrique Blanco Cabrera; and Nelsy Cruz, the governor of Montecristi province and sister of seven-time Major League Baseball All-Star Nelson Cruz,

At least three lawsuits have been filed.

Espaillat, who said he usually attended Jet Set's Monday merengue parties, was in Las Vegas for a convention when his sister called.

''How can a roof collapse?'' he recalled wondering as he flew back to the Dominican Republic.

Espaillat said he did not immediately visit the site upon arriving because officials worried about his safety, noting that people at the scene were angry.

He said he hasn't slept much since the disaster, and that he has talked to the families of his employees and some of the victim's relatives.

''I'm going to face everything,'' he said. ''I'm not going anywhere.''

An ongoing investigation

The investigation into what caused the collapse could take a couple of months and has raised questions about the safety of infrastructure across Santo Domingo and beyond.

There is currently no government agency tasked with inspecting the buildings of private businesses in the Dominican Republic, although President Luis Abinader announced last week that new legislation is expected to change that.

Yamil Castillo, a structural engineer and vice president of the Society of Engineers of Puerto Rico, said water leaks can be extremely damaging and should be taken care of immediately.

Castillo, who is not involved in investigating the collapse, warned that water seeping into the different materials that compose a roof can weigh it down, in addition to whatever else is placed on the roof, including air conditioning units.

Salty air also cause corrosion and roof damage, he said.

''Those leaks should have been fixed," Castillo said, adding that replacing the plasterboard was not enough.