Page 15 - ab

A6 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 9 april 2025
At least 44 dead and 160 injured in a roof collapse at a nightclub

in the Dominican Republic

By MARTÍN ADAMES AL- what caused the roof to
CÁNTARA and DÁNICA collapse.
COTO Jet Set issued a statement
Associated Press saying it was cooperating
SANTO DOMINGO, Domini- with authorities. “The loss
can Republic (AP) — At of human life leaves us in a
least 44 people died and state of deep pain and dis-
160 others were injured may,” it said.
in the Dominican capital It wasn’t clear when the
early Tuesday when the Jet Set building was last in-
roof collapsed at an iconic spected.
nightclub where politicians, A spokeswoman for the
athletes and others were Ministry of Public Works told
attending a merengue The Associated Press that
concert, authorities said. all officials were on scene
Crews were searching for and not immediately avail-
potential survivors in the able. She referred ques-
rubble at the one-story Jet tions to the mayor’s office.
Set nightclub in Santo Do- A spokesperson for the
mingo, said Juan Manuel mayor’s office could not
Méndez, director of the be immediately reached
Center of Emergency Op- for comment.
erations. Prosecutor Rosalba Ramos
“We presume that many of Rescue workers search for survivors at the Jet Set nightclub after its roof collapsed during a concert told TV station CDN that
them are still alive, and that in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, early Tuesday, April 8, 2025. while “everyone wants to
is why the authorities here Associated Press know” what happened,
will not give up until not a had reached 44, Méndez ers. Officials said Cruz died forming when the roof col- authorities were still fo-
single person remains un- said in the early afternoon. later at the hospital. lapsed, officials said. cused on finding survivors.
der that rubble,” he said. Earlier, officials had said “This is too great a trage- His manager, Enrique Pau- Manuel Olivo Ortiz, whose
Nearly 12 hours after the there were at least 160 dy,” Abraje said in a broken lino, whose shirt was spat- son attended the concert
top of the nightclub col- people injured. voice. tered with blood, told re- but did not return home,
lapsed down onto patrons, Nelsy Cruz, the governor The Professional Baseball porters at the scene that was among those anxiously
rescue crews were still pull- of the northwestern prov- League of the Dominican the concert began shortly waiting outside the club
ing out survivors from the ince of Montecristi and Republic posted on X that before midnight, with the known for its traditional par-
debris. At the scene, fire- sister of seven-time Major MLB pitcher Octavio Dotel roof collapsing almost an ties held on Monday where
fighters removed blocks League Baseball All-Star died. Officials had earlier hour later, killing the group’s renowned national and in-
of broken concrete and Nelson Cruz, was among rescued Dotel from the de- saxophonist. ternational artists perform.
sawed planks of wood to the victims. She had called bris and transported him to “It happened so quickly. I “We’re holding on only to
use them as planks to lift President Luis Abinader at a hospital. managed to throw myself God,,” Olivo said.
heavy debris as the noise of 12:49 a.m. saying she was Meanwhile, the injured in- into a corner,” he said, add- Also awaiting word was
drills breaking through con- trapped and that the roof clude legislator Bray Var- ing that he initially thought Massiel Cuevas, godmoth-
crete filled the air. had collapsed, First Lady gas and merengue singer it was an earthquake. er of 22-year-old Darlenys
The confirmed death toll Raquel Abraje told report- Rubby Pérez, who was per- It wasn’t immediately clear Batista.q

Ukraine’s Zelenskyy says 2 Chinese were caught fighting

alongside Russia

By VASILISA STEPANENKO Ukrainian military has cap- sian army in the eastern said China would be the Donetsk, where six Chinese
Associated Press tured two Chinese men Donetsk region and has in- third country to offer military military personnel engaged
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The fighting alongside the Rus- formation that “significant- support to Russia after Iran, Ukrainian troops. Two Chi-
ly more” are with Russian which has supplied attack nese were taken prisoner,
forces, Ukraine’s President drones, and North Korea, Zelenskyy said.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy an- which has supplied soldiers, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister,
nounced Tuesday. according to American Andrii Sybiha, said his min-
There was no immediate and South Korean officials. istry summoned China’s
comment from China. Bei- China has provided strong chargé d’affaires to de-
jing is not known to have diplomatic support for Rus- mand an explanation,
provided Russia with weap- sia since it launched its full- saying on X that “Chinese
ons or military expertise, scale invasion of its neigh- citizens fighting as part of
and it was not clear wheth- bor in February 2022. Beijing Russia’s invasion army in
er the Chinese had joined has also offered an eco- Ukraine puts into question
the fight on their own initia- nomic lifeline through the China’s declared stance
tive. Russia allows foreign- trade in energy and con- for peace and undermines
In this photo taken from video distributed by Russian Defense ers to enlist in its military, as sumer goods. Beijing’s credibility as a re-
Ministry Press Service on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, Russian 120mm does Ukraine. Zelenskyy said a clash with sponsible permanent mem-
mortar crew fire toward Ukrainian position at an undisclosed Zelenskyy said he asked his Chinese soldiers occurred ber of the U.N. Security
location in Ukraine. top diplomat “to immedi- near the villages of Tara- Council.”q
Associated Press ately contact Beijing.” He sivka and Bilohorivka in