SANTO DOMINGO – On the third day of the tragedy that claimed the lives of more than 200 people, Thursday, April 9, the skies of the Dominican Republic remained stained with tears and sorrow. A light drizzle accompanied the figures released early in the morning by rescue agencies: 218 dead and 189 rescued, numbers that plunged the country deeper into collective grief.
The typical joy that characterizes this Caribbean island has vanished. Now there is silence and mourning throughout the nation. Everyone sadly discusses the same thing: the collapse of the roof of the legendary Jet Set nightclub, where hundreds of people were participating in the traditional Monday dance party in the early hours of Tuesday, April 8th. The most prominent orchestras in the country performed there, and Dominicans and foreigners alike swayed their hips to the rhythm of the music that defines this land.
How could anyone imagine that, in search of fun and entertainment, the country would lose more than 200 of its children in the most emblematic nightclub, the one of the Dominican elite, where "security" was one of its guarantees.
Funeral rites amidst tears and questions
The funeral services continued, with funeral homes overwhelmed by the number of deceased. At the National Theater, President Luis Abinader and his wife, First Lady Raquel Arbaje, attended the early morning posthumous tribute to Rubby Pérez, who was buried yesterday, as was former Major League Baseball player Octavio Dotel.
Speaking at the coffin, Micaías Pérez, Rubby's brother, said that tragedies like this one will happen again because "we don't have strong institutions." He called on the authorities to take action and ensure that the infrastructure is capable of hosting events.
Three more days of mourning
President Luis Abinader, through decree 195-25, extended the national mourning period by three more days , bringing the total to six. The list of funerals is extensive. Funeral homes are overwhelmed, while the heartbreaking ordeal of families searching for relatives in hospitals and the National Institute of Forensic Pathology is devastating.
A general in tears
After 10:00 a.m., General Juan Manuel Méndez's resolve to conclude the search and rescue operation and announce the final figures finally broke down. "This is the most difficult task I've faced in my 20 years leading the Emergency Operations Center," he said. This time, the duty fulfilled had been a harrowing ordeal of more than 50 hours, during which the number of bodies far exceeded the number of lives rescued. " Every time someone came asking about a trapped relative, we were filled with helplessness. We felt it wasn't enough, but we gave everything we had," he recounted between sobs.
Haina and 20 coffins
Haina, the municipality that gave birth to the greatest voice in merengue, Rubby Pérez, and which, according to the 2022 census conducted by the National Statistics Office (ONE), has 159,567 inhabitants, experienced horrific scenes yesterday with 20 coffins in the community's sports complex, representing the 25 people who were allegedly attending a party for their fellow townsman. According to the official list from the mayor's office , 23 people died in the tragedy.
Most died instantly
The Minister of Public Health, Dr. Victor Atallah, reaffirmed yesterday, Thursday, that most of the people who died after the collapse died instantly due to severe head and chest trauma.
Public Works disinfects
After three days of tears, despair, and uncertainty, the disaster zone was clear by nightfall. Curious onlookers and some media outlets remained at the site, which was now guarded by a joint force of the National Police and the Armed Forces. After 6:00 pm, teams from the Ministry of Public Works and Communications (MOPC) were disinfecting the facilities.
A trail of questions
Yesterday the government announced the formation of a technical team to determine the causes of the horrific tragedy that will go down in history as one of the greatest disasters recorded in the Dominican Republic.
Meanwhile, questions and potential causes begin to flood expert analyses, while the usual criticisms and questions about the weakness of public institutions in the inspection of buildings emerge.
Nothing will bring back the victims, but determining the true causes of the disaster will at least answer the question for those who survived, for the many victims whose lives were taken, filling what was supposed to be a night of joy and celebration with tears, pain, and mourning. This is the challenge facing those who will serve on the commission. That the truth come to light is the desire of the 10 million inhabitants who today mourn the loss of more than 200 lives.
