Dominican Republic nightclub collapse that killed 231 likely caused by ‘excess weight’: experts

The tragic illness astatine nan Jet Set nightclub successful nan Dominican Republic that killed 231 was apt caused by nan doomed club’s conversion into a euphony and intermezo venue, according to experts.

Speakers, lights and different instrumentality hung from nan ceiling to move nan one-time movie theatre into a nightime hotspot likely led to nan deadly mishap — pinch a caller study surfacing astir debris raining down from nan ceiling successful caller weeks, Spanish-language outlet Noticias SIN reported.

“The tile wasn’t designed to support transformers, fans, speakers aliases nan excess weight of accumulated debris,” structural technologist Andrik Soto told nan outlet. “All of that adds up.”

Workers excavation done nan rubble aft nan deadly illness of nan Jet Set nightclub successful nan Dominican Republic connected April 8. ORLANDO BARRIA/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

Dominican authorities officials person not speculated connected nan origin of nan April 8 calamity that rocked nan Caribbean federation and claimed two erstwhile awesome leaguers and nan sister of another, among hundreds of different victims.

But Soto and Eduardo Fernandez Rodriguez, different salient engineer, told Noticias SIN that, successful summation to nan nightclub equipment, six layers of lightweight actual added to nan tile to thief transmission disconnected h2o could very good person caused nan collapse.

“If six were placed, we’re talking astir much than 500,000 further kilos, [or much than 55 tons], connected a building that wasn’t designed for that,” Rodriguez said. “It’s arsenic if they put nan weight of 6,000 group connected nan roof.”

Both experts cautioned that their assessments are mostly based connected a study of nan remains of nan nine and are speculative — and not an charismatic determination.

But according to Noticias SIN, 1 section performer offered a much haunting observation.

Moments earlier tragedy: Partygoers astatine Jet Set nightclub successful nan Dominican Republic earlier nan tile caved in. via limaelvis06/X

Singer Sergio Vargas told nan outlet that he had noticed debris falling from nan ceiling astatine Jet Set successful caller weeks — a chilling hint of nan disaster to come.

“I saw nan labor sweeping up nan debris,” Vargas said. “They told maine it was normal, that sometimes pieces of nan ceiling fell.”

Among those killed were erstwhile Major League Baseball stars Tony Blanco and Octavio Dotel, arsenic good arsenic Nelsy Cruz, nan politician of Montecrisit state and nan sister of erstwhile big-league slugger Nelson Cruz.

Also killed was celebrated vocalist Rubby Perez, who was performing astatine nan time.