The South Florida community is standing in solidarity with the Dominican Republic the death toll of a roof collapse jumps to 184. NBC6’s Hatzel Vela reports
The South Florida community is standing in solidarity with the Dominican Republic as search efforts continue after a deadly roof collapse.
At least 184 people have died and dozens were injured as of Wednesday night, Dominican officials said.
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WATCH HEREThe legendary Jet Set club in Santo Domingo was packed with musicians, professional athletes and government officials when dust began falling from the ceiling and into people's drinks early Tuesday.
Minutes later, the entire roof collapsed. Concrete slabs killed some instantly and trapped dozens of others on a dance floor where hundreds had been dancing to a lively merengue concert. In the minutes that followed, the country's 911 system received more than 100 calls, many from people buried under rubble.
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The victims include merengue icon Rubby Pérez, who had been singing to the crowd before disaster struck. His body was found early Wednesday, said emergency operations director Juan Manuel Méndez.
"He was a great person, believe me... a real friendly, nice guy," said Luis de la Cruz, the owner of Club Tipico in Miami.
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De la Cruz said the singer performed at his venue in the past and would stop by any time he was in town.
At Miami's Little Santo Domingo neighborhood, most people were glued to the TV or their phones, waiting to hear updates on the search efforts. The community had a vigil at Juan Pablo Duarte Park on Wednesday night.
The government announced Wednesday evening that it was suspending the search for survivors and moving into the recovery phase after 145 people were rescued from the wreckage of the nightclub.
So far, only a few dozen people have been identified in one of the worst disasters to hit the Dominican Republic.
