Dominicans who lost family members in the April nightclub disaster that claimed 234 lives will receive “emergency” payments of about US$500 per month for six months, the government in Santo Domingo said Monday.
The roof of the Jet Set club came crashing down in the early hours of April 8 on hundreds of people attending the club, where merengue star Rubby Perez had been performing. It is referred to as the Caribbean nation’s worst disaster in decades.
Perez, 69, was among the victims, along with two retired Major League Baseball players and a provincial governor.
Gloria Reyes, director of the social programme Supérate, said Monday that a monthly payment of 30,000 pesos (about US$509) will be made to qualifying relatives starting next week. She said 205 families had already requested financial support.
An investigation into the tragedy is ongoing, and relatives have filed more than 50 lawsuits against the nightclub owners.
The Dominican Republic has no law requiring privately owned buildings to undergo safety inspections. After the disaster, President Luis Abinader said the government was drafting a bill to make inspections mandatory.
At least 19 foreign nationals are among the over 230 people identified following the devastating roof collapse, according to a report from the National Institute of Forensic Sciences (INACIF) and the National Institute of Forensic Pathology.
The report, compiled in collaboration with the Scientific Police, National Police, and Central Electoral Board, confirmed that all victims were properly identified through legal protocols and that the remains have been returned to their families for burial and repatriation.
The deceased foreign nationals included 10 Venezuelans, three Dominican-Americans, two French citizens, and one person each from Italy, Colombia, Costa Rica, and Haiti.
The Jet Set nightclub, a well-known venue in the Dominican Republic capital, was reportedly filled with musicians, athletes, diplomats, and government officials when dust began falling from the ceiling. Moments later, the entire roof collapsed, killing hundreds and injuring dozens more.
Among those killed were former Major League Baseball players Octavio Dotel and Tony Enrique Blanco Cabrera, as well as Nelsy Cruz, brother of MLB All-Star Nelson Cruz and the current governor of Montecristi province.
