Owner of collapsed Dominican Republic nightclub breaks silence — and reveals years of problems before tragedy left 232 dead

A tile that collapsed astatine a celebrated nightclub successful nan Dominican Republic and killed 232 group this month had filtration problems for decades and had been many times fixed pinch plasterboard, according to its owner.

Antonio Espaillat, who besides serves arsenic head of nan Jet Set nightclub successful nan Dominican superior of Santo Domingo, said pinch section TV position Telesistema connected Wednesday successful his first question and reply since the April 8 disaster.

Espaillat told a newsman pinch El Día news programme that labor had added caller plasterboard to nan tile hours earlier nan collapse.

He noted that plasterboard had fallen many times passim nan years for reasons including h2o that filtered done nan club’s aerial conditioning units. However, Espaillat said nary 1 ever inspected nan tile aliases h2o filtrations.

“We ever bought plasterboard. Always,” said Espaillat, who said successful a subdued mode passim nan astir one-hour interview.

A spokeswoman for Espaillat did not return a connection for remark seeking an question and reply pinch him.

Espaillat said he learned astir nan illness erstwhile his sister called him from underneath nan debris, trapped on pinch hundreds of others attending a concert by beloved merengue vocalist Rubby Pérez, who was among those killed.

“To nan families of nan victims, I want to opportunity I’m sorry. I’m very sorry,” Espaillat said. “I americium wholly destroyed.”

‘We were each surprised’

Espaillat said he was 6 years aged erstwhile his mother founded nan legendary nine 52 years ago. The nine later moved to a abstraction occupied by a shuttered movie theatre and remained successful that location for 30 years until nan collapse.

He said location were six air-conditioning units connected nan roof, positive 3 h2o tanks. An electrical works was installed successful an adjacent room, not connected nan roof, he added.

Every six to 8 years, a specialized unit would waterproof nan roof, pinch nan past waterproofing done astir a period earlier nan collapse, he said.

The dense woofers that boomed euphony astatine Jet Set, known for its merengue parties held each Monday, were connected nan floor, he said.

Espaillat said if location was thing he could person done to debar nan collapse, he would person done it.

“There was nary warning, nothing. We were each surprised,” he said.

‘I’m going to look everything’

The Dominican authorities has created a committee that includes section and world experts tasked pinch investigating nan collapse.

About 515 group were astatine Jet Set erstwhile nan tile fell connected nan crowd, according to Espaillat.

In nan 53 hours pursuing nan disaster, crews rescued 189 survivors. Dozens of others were hospitalized.

The 232 victims see 7 doctors; a retired U.N. official; erstwhile MLB players Octavio Dotel and Tony Enrique Blanco Cabrera; and Nelsy Cruz, nan politician of Montecristi state and sister of seven-time Major League Baseball All-Star Nelson Cruz,

At slightest 3 lawsuits have been filed.

Espaillat, who said he usually attended Jet Set’s Monday merengue parties, was successful Las Vegas for a normal erstwhile his sister called.

“How tin a tile collapse?” he recalled wondering arsenic he flew backmost to nan Dominican Republic.

Espaillat said he did not instantly sojourn nan tract upon arriving because officials worried astir his safety, noting that group astatine nan segment were angry.

He said he hasn’t slept overmuch since nan disaster, and that he has talked to nan families of his labor and immoderate of nan victim’s relatives.

“I’m going to look everything,” he said. “I’m not going anywhere.”

An ongoing investigation

The investigation into what caused nan illness could return a mates of months and has raised questions astir nan information of infrastructure crossed Santo Domingo and beyond.

There is presently nary authorities agency tasked pinch inspecting nan buildings of backstage businesses successful nan Dominican Republic, though President Luis Abinader announced past week that caller authorities is expected to alteration that.

Yamil Castillo, a structural technologist and vice president of nan Society of Engineers of Puerto Rico, said h2o leaks tin beryllium highly damaging and should beryllium taken attraction of immediately.

Castillo, who is not progressive successful investigating nan collapse, warned that h2o seeping into nan different materials that constitute a tile tin measurement it down, successful summation to immoderate other is placed connected nan roof, including aerial conditioning units.

Salty aerial besides origin corrosion and tile damage, he said.

“Those leaks should person been fixed,” Castillo said, adding that replacing nan plasterboard was not enough.