THE death toll in the horror nightclub collapse has climbed to 184, as hopes dwindle of finding survivors beneath the rubble.
The ceiling collapsed during a concert at the legendary Jet Set club in the Dominican Republic on Monday.
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Families have been gathered outside the wreckage of the club for two days as they wait anxiously for news of their missing loved ones.
The head of the country’s emergency operations Juan Manuel Mendez said that crews at the scene were still looking for victims and potential survivors.
But he warned that no one has been found alive since Tuesday afternoon.
Mendez said: “We’re not going to abandon anyone. Our work will continue.”
Families on the scene continue to hold out hope of finding their loved ones.
One man Alex de Leon is hoping that his ex-wife and mum of their two children will be found.
Leon said: “Unfortunately I don’t have any information about where they are.”
“My 15 year-old son is devastated, and the little one who is 9 remains calm because we’ve told him that his mom is at work.”
Horror footage captured the moment when the roof collapsed at the venue during a concert by singer Rubby Perez.
The singer was killed in the tragedy, his manager Enrique Paulino confirmed, after he was originally listed among the missing.
Paulino’s concert was filled with musicians, professional athletes and government officials.
Among the dead are two former Major League Baseball stars – Tony Blanco, 43, and Octavio Dotel, authorities said.
Dotel, 51, who played for 13 major league teams and won the 2011 World Series as a member of the St Louis Cardinals, had been trapped under rubble for around 11 hours before rescue teams reached him.
He died of the injuries he sustained after being rushed to a military hospital.
Blanco, who played for the Washington Nationals in 2005 before spending eight seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan, was reportedly killed when he tried to save his friend and former baseball player Esteban German, being hit by falling debris.
Antonio Espaillat, a representative of the family which owns the nightclub where the tragedy occurred, said: “There are not enough words to express the pain of this event.
“What happened has been devastating for everyone. We want you to know that we are with you, that we share your anguish.
“From the very beginning, we have been cooperating fully and transparently with the authorities.
“We remain in constant communication with the Emergency Operations Centre as search and rescue efforts continue with emergency teams, volunteers and personnel from more than 22 institutions.”
The horrific incident comes after tragedy struck at another nightclub in North Macedonia just weeks ago, when the building erupted into flames.
Club Pulse turned into an inferno during a concert overnight, leaving at least 59 young partygoers dead and another 155 injured – 22 of whom were in critical condition.
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