The owner of the Jet Set nightclub, Antonio Espaillat, whose roof collapsed in the Dominican Republic causing the death of more than 200 people, stated that the structure had plaster ceilings that were constantly replaced because they fell for various reasons.
The entrepreneur expressed in an interview with journalist Edith Febles, from the local channel of the Dominican Republic Telesistema 11, that the plaster ceilings were falling due to the water from the air conditioners: “The plaster ceilings absorb all the water, the plaster becomes heavy and falls off.”
According to a report by Listín Diario, it was stated that the ceiling tiles were being replaced by employees of the establishment, without hiring a specialized company for the job.
“The employees, because a ceiling, you look for a ladder and you put it and you change it. They are ceilings as if they were in an office. For that, you don’t hire people, to change a ceiling, any of the employees could do it, they would look for a ladder and look for a ceiling,” Espaillat expressed.
Espaillat pointed out that the building had leakage problems since it was acquired in the 80s and that the roof had never been structurally inspected.
Furthermore, he stated that when the tragedy occurred, he was on a trip in Las Vegas and it was his sister who called him from the rubble to alert him about the tragedy.
“I happened to be on that trip, otherwise I wouldn’t have been there. I was always there every Monday in my seat, sharing with all the clients,” he said.
In the early hours of Tuesday, April 8, the roof of the Jet Set nightclub collapsed during a merengue concert. Among those enjoying the live music when the disaster occurred were politicians, athletes, and a fashion designer.
This event claimed the lives of around 230 people.
The Minister of Public Health told journalists that there was a delay in identifying the victims because most of them had to be identified using biometric data.
Among the identified victims are former Major League Baseball players Octavio Dotel and Tony Enrique Blanco Cabrera. Nelsy Cruz, the governor of the northwestern province of Montecristi, whose brother is seven-time MLB All-Star Nelson Cruz, also passed away.
Authorities indicated that it is too early to determine the causes of the collapse, although prosecutors visited the scene on Thursday after rescue teams began packing up and removing heavy equipment.