Owner of Dominican nightclub says plaster tiles often fell from ceiling years before deadly roof collapse
CNN
Two weeks after the roof of a popular nightclub collapsed and killed more than 200 people in the Dominican Republic, the venue’s owner acknowledged that the ceiling was made of plaster tiles that frequently fell and said the venue never received a structural review from Dominican authorities.
Two weeks after the roof of a popular nightclub collapsed and killed more than 200 people in the Dominican Republic, the venue’s owner acknowledged that the ceiling was made of plaster tiles that frequently fell and said the venue never received a structural review from Dominican authorities. Businessman Antonio Espaillat, who co-owns the establishment with his mother, said in an interview with CNN affiliate Telesistema that aired on Wednesday that the tiles were frequently replaced after they were damaged by water leaking from the air conditioning units positioned on the roof. Espaillat said that this happened regularly throughout all the years that he has operated the venue – even on the very day of the collapse. More than 300 people were inside Jet Set nightclub in the capital of Santo Domingo when the roof collapsed around 1 a.m. on the morning of April 8 during a performance of merengue artist Rubby Pérez and his orchestra, authorities said. Espaillat’s own sister was among those trapped under the rubble, he said. The disaster left at least 232 dead, including Pérez, and more than 180 injured, according to official figures.
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