A security guard attempted to alert band members prior to a roof collapse at a Dominican Republic nightclub which killed 221 people, including merengue icon Rubby Pérez.
Chilling video shows the staffer aiming his flashlight at someone on the stage and motioning towards the ceiling of the Jet Set night club before the collapse on Tuesday.
Pérez’s road manager, Deivis Alberti, could be seen walking up to the edge of the stage and standing next to the security guard, but Pérez continued his performance.
It’s unknown how much time elapsed between the moment the guard alerted the band and when the roof collapsed at the Santo Domingo club.
The tragedy killed hundreds and injured 189, according to figures provided by the Emergency Operations Center on Thursday.
Terrifying footage filmed by renown surgeon, Pablo Castillo, showed debris swirling inside the club as survivors tried to escape.
The doctor could be heard shouting at people to walk towards his area, near the emergency exit.
A Jet Set security guard (left) pointed his flashlight towards an area of the roof and alerted a member of merengue icon Rubby Perez’s (right) band prior to the collapse at the venue in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic on Tuesday. At least 221 people were killed, including Pérez
A crew removes debris from Jet Set nightclub in Thursday. The roof collapse at the popular venue killed 221 people and injured 189
‘When the establishment’s roof collapsed, I was recording with my cell phone, and I continued recording so my mother would have a video of my final moments, just as an only child who was a victim of the Pulse Bar tragedy in Orlando in 2016 did,’ Castillo wrote on Instagram.
Additional video footage showed what appeared to be a tile hanging from the ceiling being looked a by several people before the roof caved in.
The Jet Set tragedy also claimed the lives of former major leaguers, Octavio Dotel and Henry Blanco.
Nelsy Cruz, the governor of the northwestern province of Montecristi and sister of former baseball star Nelson Cruz, was also killed.
Retired NYPD detective Emmanuel Gómez was among the victims.
A private funeral service was held for Wednesday for Pérez, who was known as ‘The highest voice of merengue’.
Pérez had dreams of becoming a baseball player before he was run over by a car at the age of 15.
He 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.
Dominican Republic’s President Luis Abinader and first lady Raquel Arbaje stand next to the coffin of merengue artist Rubby Pérez
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
Octavio Dotel with his pastor wife, Massiel Dotel, who did not attend the nightclub
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].
On Thursday, his remains were transferred to the National Theater, where President Luis Abinader and celebrities joined Pérez’s family for a special was tribute.
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.
In 2015, it went through a 21-day remodeling phase in which a second floor VIP area was added.
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.
Antonio Espaillat, the nightclub’s owner, addressed the incident via a video, indicating that management has been communicating with authorities.
Renown surgeon, Dr. Pablo Castillo, shouted at fellow clubgoers to walk towards his area near the emergency exit
Relatives and friends of some of the victims of the Jet Set nightclub roof collapse attend a mass funeral at the Polideportivo basketball area in Bajos de Haina, Santo Domingo on Thursday
‘What happened has been devastating for everyone. We want you to know that we are with you and that we share your grief,’ Espaillat said.
A former government official for the city of Boca Chica – 24 miles east of Santo Domingo – called on Attorney General Yeni Berenice to take action.
‘I, a Dominican from Boca Chica, request that Antonio Espaillat be treated like any other Dominican who, due to his negligence, results in the deaths of hundreds of Dominicans at the end of the #JetSet day, and that he be arrested immediately,’ Gregory Evertsz wrote on X.
‘It’s time to respond,’ Angel Camarena wrote. ‘Antonio Espaillat, please step forward and speak to the country, the survivors, and the families of those killed in this disaster. Attorney General @YeniBerenice What are we waiting [for]?’
