Officials scramble to identify victims of Dominican club roof collapse that killed at least 184

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic — 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 Center 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 odor 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 victims 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 had already delivered at least 28 bodies to their families but did not yet have a tally of all the bodies recovered. Late Wednesday, officials raised the number of dead to at least 184, with over 200 injured.

''The authorities are selling us false dreams!'' cried out José Sánchez, whose brother and brother-in-law were still missing.

The collapse

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 dance floor 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 emergency operations director Juan Manuel Méndez.

The government announced Wednesday evening that it was moving to a recovery phase focused on finding bodies after 145 people were rescued from the wreckage of the nightclub. Rescue crews from Puerto Rico and Israel had arrived early Wednesday to help with the search.

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 on vacation from Costa Rica who joined the search because he's part of a rescue crew back home.

The victims

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, a retired United Nations official, the son and daughter-in-law of the minister of public works and the brother of the vice minister of the Ministry of Youth.

Also killed was former 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 later died 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 girls. Grupo Popular, a financial services company, said three of its employees also died, including the president of AFP Popular Bank and his wife. One man tearfully told reporters that he lost five relatives, including his wife and son.

Dozens of victims remained unidentified.

''I have been to many hospitals, and I have not found her,'' Deysi Suriel said of her friend, 61-year-old Milca Curiel, a North Carolina resident who was on vacation in the Dominican Republic.

Health Minister Dr. Víctor Elías Atallah Lajam announced the creation of a commission to provide psychological help for the victims' families.

More than 20 of the injured remained hospitalized Wednesday, including at least eight in critical condition.

''A point in their favor 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.

The search

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 photographs.

''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, and her sister, Rosa Herminia Pérez, who died and whom she described as ''beautiful, precious, very nice.''

''I'm in a lot of pain,'' she said. ''I have had many moments of despair.''

Officials said late Wednesday morning that they had not been able to identify at least 33 bodies.

''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 favorite place, they went there almost every Monday,'' Jones said. She said 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 cooperating 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.

___

Coto reported from San Juan, Puerto Rico.