A heartbreaking audio message has revealed the moment a man begged to be saved from under the devastating rubble at a nightclub in the Dominican Republic.
The message, which was shared by a first responder, captured the clubgoer’s distressing cries as he was pinned under slabs of cement at Jet Set in the capital city of Santo Domingo during the early hours of Tuesday.
The sobbing man was heard saying: ‘We have concrete on top of us. Nelson and I are in front of the stage. We have concrete on top of us. We’re getting choking. Carolina is with me, but she is not responding.
‘Oh my God, call 911 so they can rescue us here, in front of the stage. Right in the middle.’
It’s unclear who was speaking in the video, but late merengue icon Rubby Pérez’s manager told DailyMail.com that the voice was not his.
Pérez’s body was recovered and carried away from the club during the early hours of Wednesday.
The 69-year-old and his band were performing when the roof collapsed at 12:44 am Tuesday, trapping hundreds of guests.
At least 113 people were killed and 155 were hospitalized with injuries, according to a report released by the Emergency Operations Center on Wednesday morning.
At least 113 people died after a roof collapse at Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo
Dominican merengue singer Rubby Pérez (left) performing on stage with his backup singers, his daughter Zulinka (center) and her husband (right), moments before the roof collapsed at Jet Set club
National Institute of Forensic Pathology director, Santo Jiménez Páez, said Wednesday that at least 33 victims have yet to be identified.
Footage of the tragedy showed Pérez and his vocalists, his daughter Zulinka Pérez, and her husband, entertaining close to 800 guests at the club when the ceiling suddenly caved in.
Initial reports indicated that Pérez had been rescued and rushed to a medical facility with multiple injuries before Zulinka told reporters that the artist was still trapped in the club.
Pérez’s brother, Neifi Pérez, visited on Tuesday evening and told reporters that the artist’s body had not been recovered hours after his death had been announced.
Rescue crew members carried Rubby Pérez’s body out from Jet Set nightclub during the early hours Wednesday
Rescue workers use sheets as they recover bodies from the rubble at the Jet Set nightclub while searching for survivors Wednesday
But Emergency Operations Center director, Juan Manuel Méndez, held a press conference and stopped short of saying whether Pérez’s had been found dead.
‘I hope, God willing, that those who remain there still have life,’ Méndez said.
The fatal victims included former major leaguers Octavio Dotel and Henry Blanco, whose son Henry Blanco Jr. is a prospect with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Nelsy Cruz, the governor of the province of Montecristi, was also killed.
Cruz’s brother, Nelson Cruz, was a seven-time MLB All-Star in a career that spanned 19 seasons.
Pérez, who was known as ‘The highest voice of merengue,’ drew the search-and-rescue team to his location by singing.
Nelsy Cruz (right), the governor of the province of Montecristi and sister of former MLB star Nelson Cruz (left), is among the 15 people who have been confirmed dead
Rubby Perez makes his way to the stage at one of his last shows Saturday at the Hard Rock Hotel before Tuesday’s tragic nightclub incident in Santo Domingo
Born Roberto Antonio Pérez Herrera in the city of Haina, Rubby had dreams of becoming a baseball player before he was run over by a car at the age of 15.
Pérez spent almost a year hospitalized and while recovering he was gifted a guitar that made him fall in love with music and paved his way to stardom.
He was a member of three merengue bands in the late 1970s before legendary singer Wilfrido Vargas added him to his band in 1982.
Pérez made his debut as a solo artist in 1987 when he released first album ‘Buscando Tus Bezos’ [Finding Your Kisses].
Jet Set first opened its doors in 1973 as a restaurant and club and was known for hosting some of the merengue genre’s top talent.
The nightclub was briefly shut down due to a fire on July 25, 2023 after its electricity room was struck by lightning.
In a statement, Jet Set said it is cooperating with the ongoing investigation.
‘Last night, a tragedy struck a deep note in the hearts of all of us who are part of Jet Set and all Dominicans,’ the nightclub said. ‘The loss of life leaves us in a state of profound pain and dismay.
‘In this difficult time, our prayers are with each of the affected families. We share their pain as if it were our own, because we are also in mourning.
‘We are collaborating fully and transparently with the corresponding authorities to assist the victims and clarify what happened.’
