<p>Jet Set, an aging disco just a block from the sea in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, was the place to be on Monday nights.</p><p>And this Monday was no exception.</p><p>A collection of the country’s boldface names were eager to kick up their heels and party at a concert by Rubby Pérez, known as the “loudest voice in merengue.”</p><p>The decades-old ritual ended in catastrophe when the building’s roof came crashing down in the middle of Pérez’s performance.</p><p>The tragedy has claimed at least 184 lives so far, including Pérez’s, the disco turned to a mass graveyard.</p><p>Victims included the owner of one of the country’s most prestigious banks, his wife and sister, whose recent wedding made the cover of a local lifestyle magazine. The groom, who also died, was the son of the nation’s minister of public works.</p><p>Nelsy Cruz, governor of the province of Monte Cristi, was among the first confirmed dead, and two former Major League Baseball players, Octavio Dotel and Tony Blanco, were also killed. Pedro Martínez, a Hall of Fame pitcher, said in a social media post that several of his family members were still in the club’s rubble.</p>.Frantic search for survivors as roof collapse in Dominican Republic kills at least 98.<p>Now Dominicans are lining up to donate blood, as hundreds of rescue workers sift through the rubble to find survivors or bodies.</p><p>Authorities have not said how many people were at the concert, but said they are “triangulating” the number of tickets sold with the number of people in the hospitals and at the morgue to figure out how many people might still be trapped in the rubble.</p><p>After more than 150 rescues, no one had been brought out alive since Tuesday afternoon.</p><p>Pérez was the only act performing Monday at Jet Set, which was owned by a prominent family in the entertainment industry in Santo Domingo. Through a representative, the owners declined to answer questions.</p><p>“To you, mothers, fathers, siblings, children and loved ones of those affected: You can count on us,” the owner, Antonio Espaillat, said in a slickly produced video posted on social media. “Everything we do now, every decision, every step, has one purpose: to live up to your pain and be with you.”</p><p>Authorities said it was too early to determine the cause of the disaster.</p>
<p>Jet Set, an aging disco just a block from the sea in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, was the place to be on Monday nights.</p><p>And this Monday was no exception.</p><p>A collection of the country’s boldface names were eager to kick up their heels and party at a concert by Rubby Pérez, known as the “loudest voice in merengue.”</p><p>The decades-old ritual ended in catastrophe when the building’s roof came crashing down in the middle of Pérez’s performance.</p><p>The tragedy has claimed at least 184 lives so far, including Pérez’s, the disco turned to a mass graveyard.</p><p>Victims included the owner of one of the country’s most prestigious banks, his wife and sister, whose recent wedding made the cover of a local lifestyle magazine. The groom, who also died, was the son of the nation’s minister of public works.</p><p>Nelsy Cruz, governor of the province of Monte Cristi, was among the first confirmed dead, and two former Major League Baseball players, Octavio Dotel and Tony Blanco, were also killed. Pedro Martínez, a Hall of Fame pitcher, said in a social media post that several of his family members were still in the club’s rubble.</p>.Frantic search for survivors as roof collapse in Dominican Republic kills at least 98.<p>Now Dominicans are lining up to donate blood, as hundreds of rescue workers sift through the rubble to find survivors or bodies.</p><p>Authorities have not said how many people were at the concert, but said they are “triangulating” the number of tickets sold with the number of people in the hospitals and at the morgue to figure out how many people might still be trapped in the rubble.</p><p>After more than 150 rescues, no one had been brought out alive since Tuesday afternoon.</p><p>Pérez was the only act performing Monday at Jet Set, which was owned by a prominent family in the entertainment industry in Santo Domingo. Through a representative, the owners declined to answer questions.</p><p>“To you, mothers, fathers, siblings, children and loved ones of those affected: You can count on us,” the owner, Antonio Espaillat, said in a slickly produced video posted on social media. “Everything we do now, every decision, every step, has one purpose: to live up to your pain and be with you.”</p><p>Authorities said it was too early to determine the cause of the disaster.</p>