Frustration Grows as Families Wait for Loved Ones’ Bodies to be Identified
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic – Frustration grew Friday in the Dominican Republic as families of some of the 221 people killed in a nightclub roof collapse three days earlier waited for their loved ones’ bodies to be identified.
Waiting in Tents
Dozens of desperate relatives waited in tents at the forensic morgue in Santo Domingo, the capital city where the Jet Set club’s roof caved in on hundreds of people gathered to see merengue singer Rubby Perez in the early hours of Tuesday. Perez was on stage when disaster struck, and the 69-year-old was given a sendoff Thursday at the National Theater attended by President Luis Abinader and the singer’s daughter Zulinka, who had escaped the calamity alive.
Uncertainty and Distress
Many other families, though, still await closure before they can start the grieving process following the Caribbean nation’s worst tragedy in decades. "It is distressing, it is something you cannot imagine… the wait for the bodies is exasperating," cried Yuni Garcia, who lost her brother, a club security guard, but has yet to recover his corpse.
Death Toll and Rescue Efforts
The office of President Abinader on Friday put the final death toll at 221, with 189 people pulled alive from the rubble of the popular nightclub now reduced to mounds of twisted steel, zinc, and brick. Aerial images of the site showed a scene resembling the aftermath of an earthquake, with a gaping hole where the club’s roof had been. A video posted on social media showed the venue, which could hold 1,700 guests, suddenly plunged into darkness while Perez was singing, followed by crashing sounds and screams.
Identification Process
Twelve extra forensic pathologists were brought on board to aid in the identification process, according to the health ministry. The mayor’s office had provided six funeral homes with 170 coffins free of charge. By Friday, 191 autopsies had been done, and authorities vowed that all will be completed by Friday, with victims’ remains to be returned to their families by 2:00 am on Saturday. However, some reported errors, with Julio Alberto Acosta, who lost his stepdaughter in the tragedy, saying, "They gave us a body that wasn’t hers… We want them to give us the right one so her mom can see her and go to bury her."
International Response
The preliminary victims list included a Haitian, an Italian, two French citizens, and several Americans. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke to Abinader Friday "to express his deepest condolences," department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said in a statement. The victims also included two retired Major League Baseball players and a provincial governor.
Government Response
The government has extended an initial three-day national mourning period for another three days to Sunday, and announced the creation of a special commission of national and foreign experts to determine the cause of the disaster. Hundreds of rescuers, aided by sniffer dogs, have worked tirelessly since Tuesday to pull survivors from the rubble. They called off the search for live victims late Wednesday and shifted their focus to recovering the dead. President Abinader on Friday pledged to find out "what happened, why it happened, how it happened."
Conclusion
The nightclub roof collapse in Santo Domingo has left a trail of devastation and heartbreak, with families struggling to come to terms with their losses. The identification process has been slow and challenging, with errors reported in some cases. The government has pledged to investigate the cause of the disaster and provide support to the affected families.
FAQs
Q: How many people were killed in the nightclub roof collapse?
A: 221 people were killed in the disaster.
Q: How many people were pulled alive from the rubble?
A: 189 people were pulled alive from the rubble.
Q: What is the cause of the disaster?
A: The cause of the disaster is still unknown, and an investigation is underway.
Q: How is the government responding to the disaster?
A: The government has extended a national mourning period and has announced the creation of a special commission to investigate the cause of the disaster.