Jet Set | Unresolved tragedy: 61 days of open wounds and pending justice

Santo Domingo.- Two months have passed since that fateful Tuesday morning, April 8, at the Jet Set nightclub. To be exact, 61 days, which is equivalent to 1,464 hours, or 5,270,400 seconds. However, to date, despite all that time, there have been no answers to dozens of questions about the collapse of the roof of what was considered the national brand of nightlife in the Dominican Republic.

Why exactly did the Jet Set roof collapse? Who is responsible for the 234 dead and dozens injured? How is the authorities’ investigation going? Will justice be served? What does the business owner, Antonio Espaillat, say? What happened to the survivors? Here, we detail how the events unfolded before, during, and after the collapse, as well as the current status of one of the most shocking events (not caused by a natural phenomenon) in the country’s history.

Jet Set Monday

Although the internationally renowned entertainment center welcomed and attracted all social classes, without exception, the message its founders always conveyed was one of quality and prestige. However, that name, which had been in place for more than 50 years (since 1973), collapsed in literally a second. The roof collapsed, and ever since, the soul wounds it inflicted on the entire Dominican population have remained open.

The day of the tragedy was that typical “Jet Set Monday,” when a merengue singer with a live band was scheduled to liven up the party. The artist of the evening was Rubby Pérez, “the loudest voice in merengue,” who wasn’t supposed to sing on April 8. Still, he asked Espaillat for that date because he would be visiting his girlfriend in the United States the following week, according to some of his friends.

According to witnesses, before the performer of “Y no voy a llorar” came on stage at midnight, the nightclub’s roof was showing signs that something was going to happen: part of the structure was gradually giving way, as recorded in videos from some of the more than 400 attendees.

Around 1:00 a.m., with Rubby already on stage and performing “De color de Rosas,” the atmosphere remained normal. However, at that moment, another part of the roof had fallen off, and only a few had noticed, as evidenced in other audiovisuals.

And then what no one suspected happened: the roof of the Jet Set nightclub collapsed. The scene was straight out of an apocalyptic movie, according to what those who survived told the press. Crying, pain, cries for help, disorientation, and confusion. DeDeathripped the scene. Later, on the outskirts of the center, family members, friends, and loved ones of the victims were desperately trying to find out the condition of their loved ones.

And now?

Two months after the tragedy, citizens and the direct and indirect victims of the incident are crying out for justice. They point to the company’s owner, Antonio Espaillat, who, during an interview with journalist Edith Febles, stated that what happened has marked his life and that of his family. Espaillat pledged to support the families of all those affected while he searched for answers about what happened.

“I deeply regret it. I never wanted this to happen. We were born into the Jet Set; it was our everything. We weren’t prepared for something of this magnitude. If I had known something could be done, I would have done it. My family was there, my friends were there,” he stated. He added that if he hadn’t been in the United States that day, he would have perished alongside hundreds of others. He then offered his services to authorities to assist with the investigation.

Although citizens are demanding decisive answers regarding what happened and are demanding a culprit, authorities have stated that the investigation is continuing at a rapid pace. The Director General of the National Office for Seismic Assessment and Vulnerability of Infrastructure and Buildings (ONESVIE) stated on May 26 in La Semana con la Prensa at the National Palace that the preliminary report on the Jet Set tragedy could be released within two weeks.

Orphans by Jet Set

Another aspect of the tragedy is the 174 minors orphaned by the disaster, 34 of whom lost both parents, according to the most recent update provided by the director of Supérate, Gloria Reyes, who also reported that the institution had assisted more than 230 families.

Meanwhile, the Superintendency of Health and Occupational Risks (Sisalril) instructed Health Risk Administrators (ARS) to prioritize, expedite, and immediately extend the processes for granting Family Health Insurance (SFS) coverage, both in the contributory and subsidized regimes, to those affected by the collapse.

Circular SSRL-INT-2025-000827 orders the health protection of those affected who are admitted to health centers or undergoing medical care, as well as legal and cohabiting partners. It also orders the safety of minor children, students up to the age of 21, people with disabilities, and other formally registered dependents of the victims of the event.

A nightmare

Survivors of the tragedy agreed that what they experienced that early morning of Tuesday, April 8, at the Jet Set nightclub was like a nightmare. This is the case for Jenniffer Taveras, a 24 – 24-year-old woman who is, for now, the only person hospitalized as a result of the tragedy. She is receiving treatment at the Salvador B. Gautier Hospital for eight leg fractures and muscle strains.

Another survivor who escaped death was Marisol Chalas, who suffered multiple traumas to various parts of her body. “I spent about 40 minutes with my legs under the rubble. There was despair, screams. People were shouting that they would die there. I was encouraging two children, who couldn’t feel their legs. I told them, ‘Look, there are people buried below who are worse off than us. At least our heads are out of the way,’” she recalled.

” We were all screaming for help… What we experienced was very hard, very hard,”  she said. She added that she enjoyed Rubby Pérez‘s musical hits with several friends, who, unfortunately, like “the loudest voice of merengue,” as the artist was also known, were not rescued alive.

The figures

Among the 234 people who died as a result of the Jet Set roof collapse are prominent figures such as Montecristi Province Governor Nelsy Cruz. President Luis Abinader confirmed that the official called him at 12:46 a.m. to request assistance amid the rubble.

Among the political figures who were affected were the former president of the Senate and current Minister of Public Works and Communications, Eduardo Estrella, who lost his son Eduardo Guarionex Estrella, who was with his wife Alexandra Grullón, Project Manager of Qik Banco Digital Dominicano, who also died in the event.

Merengue singer Rubby Pérez was found dead approximately 13 hours after the incident. Other well-known figures who also lost their lives were Martín Polanco, a prominent local fashion designer; Octavio Dotel, a former Major League Baseball player; Eduardo Grullón, president of AFP Popular, and his wife,  Johanna Rodríguez de Grullón; and Christian Alejandro Tejeda Pichardo, director of Urban Infrastructure for the National District Mayor’s Office, among others.

Several foreigners also died, including a Costa Rican, an Italian, a Haitian, a Kenyan, and a Colombian.

Legal actions

Several days ago, it was revealed that the National District Attorney’s Office had received 65 legal actions filed by families of victims and those injured in the tragedy that occurred at the nightclub. Among these cases, there are 22 complaints and 43 lawsuits against the establishment’s owners, Antonio Espaillat and Ana Grecia López, as well as against its corporate name, Inversiones E y L, SRL.

In the search, rescue, and assistance efforts for the victims, 565 rescuers participated, who were recognized by President Luis Abinader at the National Palace, along with doctors, members of the Civil Defense, firefighters, military personnel, police, volunteers and support staff, who the president considered as heroes and heroines.