MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Dominican Republic: Jet Set owners to be sued for incident that killed 231

The tragedy has prompted calls for accountability, including a separate lawsuit from Rubby Pérez’s daughter, Zulinka, citing negligence

Relatives of the victims of the April 8 roof collapse at the iconic Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo, killing 231 people on site and 10 others after hospitalization, insisted Tuesday that they intended to file lawsuits against the facilities' owners.

The incident occurred during a performance by merengue singer Rubby Pérez, who also died. The family of deceased National Police officer Virgilio Cruz filed a lawsuit against the nightclub's owners, Antonio Espaillat López, his mother Ana Grecia López, and their company Inversiones E y L, accusing them of involuntary manslaughter. They also claim the Dominican State was liable for failing to fulfill legal duties.

The widow and parents of Virgilio Cruz insisted that “it is unequivocal that there is sufficient evidential merit to accuse” the owner's family of this crime. “The Dominican State can be sued for civil liability, both for illicit acts committed by its agents as well as for omissions in fulfilling its legal duties,” it was also explained.

The lawsuit alleges negligence, pointing to structural issues and heavy equipment on the roof. Jet Set said it was cooperating “in a total and transparent way” with the authorities to “clarify what happened.”

President Luis Abinader emphasized the need for justice and a thorough investigation, which is underway by the Attorney General’s Office and a commission of experts, with results expected in three months.

The tragedy has prompted calls for accountability, including a separate lawsuit from Pérez’s daughter, Zulinka, citing negligence.

President Luis Abinader said he would “respect that justice be done as justice must be done.” He also underscored the need to determine the causes of the event, pointing out that, from now on, answers must be given to “what happened, why it happened, and how it happened.”

The Dominican Attorney General's Office (PGR) opened an investigation into the events, while the National Office of Seismic Evaluation and Vulnerability of Infrastructure and Buildings (Onesvie) expects to have results in about three months.