Antonio Espaillat, co-owner of the Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, comes to terms with the loss of life from a tragic roof collapse. Sadly, this was exactly the case on April 8, 2025. The incident unfolded during a live performance by renowned merengue artist Rubby Pérez and his orchestra, while over 300 patrons filled the venue. The disaster has now claimed at least 232 lives and injured more than 180 people.
The Jet Set nightclub, a nightlife mainstay for three decades, had continuing issues with its plaster tile ceiling. These persistent problems eventually wore down support for the much-loved venue. Espaillat witnessed the tiles perpetually plummeting. This was due to chronic water damage from leaking rooftop air conditioning units. On the night of the collapse, other tiles had already fallen just minutes before the roof collapsed entirely. Espaillat has literally been replacing these broken tiles each year. Officials have never inspected the building’s structural soundness.
“I had no idea and couldn’t believe it was something of this magnitude,” Antonio Espaillat stated as he grappled with the tragedy. He estimated that more than 500 people packed the club at the time of the emergency. This was well over any previous attendance figures and highlighted an immediate call for emergency safety measures.
In response to the crash, the Dominican government has moved to. In response, they created a technical team to look into what caused the Henderson collapse. It has called attention to the complete lack of building safety inspection and enforcement protocols and oversight across the country’s nightlife venues. Despite his ownership position, Espaillat acknowledged having never held discussions on building condition of Jet Set with private engineers.
If there had been something that caught my attention or that they (my staff and private contractors) had told me: ‘look, we need to check this, that, or the other,’ I would have gladly done it. As a business owner with civic obligations to his local community, he further justified his actions, explaining that,
The emotional toll of this disaster weighs heavily on Espaillat, as well. He expressed deep sorrow over the loss of life and stated, “Since this happened, I have had no life.” As he moves forward through this painful time, he’s laser-focused on pursuing accountability for the effects of this tragedy.
I’m alive, and I’m going to Rumble like the world is gonna end. It ain’t over I’m not going anywhere. Count on me to be here and do everything that’s within my power to help. In doing so, he promised to work with investigators and help those impacted, he concluded.
Witnesses recounted harrowing experiences from that night. Maribel Espaillat, Antonio’s mother and Jet Set co-owner, narrated the sound of the roof crashing in, after first hearing an explosion. “Antonio, something incredible has happened… we heard an explosion, and the entire roof has collapsed,” she told him in disbelief.
As investigations continue, worries are growing over the safety regulations of constructed buildings in the Dominican Republic. It’s obvious to many that if we had tighter oversight, this terrible ordeal could have been avoided. The Jet Set nightclub’s collapse serves as a stark reminder of the importance of maintaining safe environments for all patrons.
