La sorprendente revelación del propietario de Jet Set, Disco que se derrumbó en la República Dominicana: «Siempre cayó»
Antonio Espalat, the owner of Jet Set Disco, which suffered a catastrophic roof collapse on April 8, resulting in
The roof of the popular nightclub fell in during a performance by renowned merengue artist Rubby Pérez, who tragically perished beneath the debris. Several notable figures from the Dominican Republic, including Montecristi province governor Nelsy Cruz, and designer Martín Polanco, were also present at the venue that night.
Espalat spoke with journalist Edith Febles on the television program «Algun Día,» aired on a local telecommunications channel, where he recounted his experiences on the day of the tragedy and his whereabouts during the event. He also highlighted the persistent issues with leaking in the venue, noting that authorities had never conducted adequate monitoring.
A moment of sacrifice Photo:Facebook Karla Sánchez / Efe.
The owner of Jet Set recounts how he learned about the tragedy
In his first interview regarding the disastrous event that shook the Dominican capital, Espaillat shared that on April 7, he was attending a television and radio fair held annually in Las Vegas, USA.
At 10:30 PM Las Vegas time (1:30 PM Dominican time), he received a call from his sister Maribel, who was also trapped under the rubble in the disco, informing him of the unfolding tragedy.
“She called me from beneath the debris saying, ‘Antonio, something unbelievable has happened. We heard an explosion, and the entire roof has collapsed, and we’re all trapped under the wreckage,’” he recounted.
Antonio Espaillat, owner of Jet Set Disco. Photo:Social Media
Immediately, as he recounted, he gathered his belongings from the hotel and rushed to the airport to catch a flight back home. After leaving the United States, he arrived in the Dominican Republic around 3 PM on Tuesday, April 8, despite warnings to avoid the site of the disaster due to heightened emotions among the gathered crowd.
“At that moment, I had no idea of the magnitude of the tragedy.”
Espalat serves as the president of RCC Media, which is the second largest media group in the country, encompassing several television channels and more than 50 radio stations.
This was Jet Set Disco after the rescue efforts. Photo:AFP
Apocalypse in the nightclub’s ceiling
When questioned about the potential causes of the disaster, Espaillat revealed that the disco’s ceiling was clad with gypsum boards, which are structures installed beneath the main ceiling of a room.
The businessman indicated that these ceilings had been collapsing for years in the disco founded three decades ago and even stated that some of them had fallen on the very day of the tragedy.
«We always had issues with the gypsum boards falling down, which is why there was white dust everywhere,» he mentioned.
Jet Set Disco located in the Dominican Republic Photo:Jet Set Facebook
The businessman noted that these structures were continuously falling due to leaks in the roof, in addition to other contributing factors. “Most of the water came from the air conditioning, where condensation occurs, and if the drains are blocked — just normal issues. We didn’t realize why the gypsum boards were not bulging.”
Espaillat expressed his frustration over the fact that the roof had never been inspected to determine its real structural integrity, and no alterations had been made that could influence the roof’s stability. Furthermore, authorities had not conducted structural inspections as the contractor stated that only hygiene reviews and emergency exits were checked.
The nightclub owner was also asked if the possibility that the roof was burdened by too much weight (from lights, sound equipment, etc.) could have contributed, but he asserted that specialized companies were always hired for the installation of these elements.
«Since 1994, when we took over that place, we had six air conditioning units, and that’s still what we have, six air conditioning units. We followed the recommendations regarding how many tons were needed and how we could accommodate them,» he added.
Waste removal at Jet Set Disco, Dominican Republic. Photo:Francesco Spotorno / AFP
The entrepreneur emphasized that he was the first to want to understand what happened that fateful morning and would not obstruct the investigations conducted by authorities. He also mentioned that he had communicated with several families of the victims and expressed the profound impact this tragedy has had on him.
“If there had been anything that could have been prevented, you can be sure I would have done everything to avoid it. I would never have allowed it to happen, but there was nothing — no warning, nothing at all; we were all caught by surprise,” he concluded.
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