SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico— The roof of a well-known nightclub in the Dominican capital fell during a merengue event, killing at least 218 people and wounding over 200 more. Politicians, athletes, and a fashion designer were among those present at Jet Set in Santo Domingo when the accident hit early Tuesday. Officials say it’s too early to know why the roof collapsed. After scores of people who remained at hospitals and the forensics institute eventually learned what happened to their loved ones, the government has moved on to a recovery phase centered on finding bodies. The roof fell about an hour after Rubby Pérez’s merengue concert began at Jet Set. The club was well-known for its Monday night merengue celebrations, which attracted international celebrities high-profile Dominicans

A video released on social media shows pieces of the roof collapsing and people fleeing seconds before the entire roof falls on them. According to first lady Raquel Abraje, Nelsy Cruz, the governor of Montecristi province and sister of seven-time Major League Baseball All-Star Nelson Cruz, called Dominican President Luis Abinader from under the wreckage to inform him of the calamity. According to officials, Nelsy Cruz later died in a hospital.

Authorities believe it is too early to pinpoint the cause of the disaster. Firefighters lifted chunks of broken concrete and built temporary planks to reach survivors buried beneath the wreckage. More than 180 people were rescued from the rubble. It is unclear how frequently government officials examine structures in the Dominican Republic, or when Jet Set was last inspected.

A Ministry of Public Works official directed the Associated Press to the mayor’s office for comment. A spokesman from the mayor’s office could not be reached. Jet Set’s owners, who issued a statement indicating they were collaborating with police, were likewise unavailable for comment. Rubby Pérez, a merengue singer who was performing when the roof fell, was initially reported to have been saved. But Juan Manuel Méndez, head of the Center of Emergency Operations, says his body was discovered early Wednesday.

The singer’s manager, Enrique Paulino, confirmed that the group’s saxophonist had also died. The Professional Baseball League of the Dominican Republic announced on X that former MLB pitcher Octavio Dotel was rescued but died at the hospital. Dominican baseball player Tony Enrique Blanco Cabrera was also slain, according to Satosky TerreroThe administration declared late Wednesday that it was entering the recovery phase after rescue personnel searched for survivors for more than 24 hours following the collapse. A thorough inquiry of the incident is expected. Authorities have not revealed any preliminary results or commented on what caused the roof to collapse. Relatives waited outside the nation’s forensics institute as it attempted to identify casualties, while others searched hospitals for their loved ones, some clutching photographs. Many of those injured were in critical or catastrophic condition, including fractured bones., the league’s spokesperson.

The administration declared late Wednesday that it was entering the recovery phase after rescue personnel searched for survivors for more than 24 hours following the collapse. A thorough inquiry of the incident is expected. Authorities have not revealed any preliminary results or commented on what caused the roof to collapse.