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The family of a man who died when a nightclub roof collapsed in the Dominican Republic last week is the first to press charges against the club’s owners.
Police lieutenant Virgilio Rafael Cruz Aponte was one of 231 people killed when the roof of the Jet Set nightclub fell during a merengue concert.
His family’s lawyer said they are charging the club’s owner and managers with manslaughter. Other families have said they also plan to sue.
The club’s owner, Antonio Espaillat, said in a video that he is fully helping with the investigation.
Officials say the investigation will take several months.
The family’s lawyer also said they are blaming local government officials for not making sure the club followed safety rules.
The interior ministry announced that the death toll rose to 231 after five more injured people died. So far, 189 people have been pulled alive from the rubble.
The club was hosting a dance music night featuring famous merengue singer Rubby Pérez. Pérez and his saxophonist, who were on stage when the roof fell, died. Pérez’s daughter Zulinka, a backup singer, survived.
The National Institute of Forensic Sciences said victims included two French citizens, a Haitian, and an Italian. The US government also said that several Americans were killed.
The tragedy has deeply affected Dominican communities abroad, including in New York City.
New York Mayor Eric Adams went to the disaster site in Santo Domingo. He said, “They are not just my residents—I see them as family. And in mourning, families grieve together.”
Sources: BBC, Listin Diario.
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