Three days after the roof of the Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, collapsed early Tuesday, killing 221 people, the precise cause of the collapse remained unclear. But details from videos taken at the scene — a concert by a merengue performer, Rubby Pérez — provide some indication of what happened inside the club during the minute before the collapse.
Thirty seconds before the roof collapsed, one concertgoer pointed toward the ceiling above the dance floor, saying that something appeared to be falling.
Over on the dance floor, the crowd began to thin as debris fell from a hole in the ceiling. Some in the crowd glanced upward as they moved away.
Less than a second before the sudden collapse, debris continued to fall from the ceiling.
The lighting rig was located centrally in the club’s layout, above the dance floor. It appeared to fall first. Immediately afterward, a chandelier closer to the outer walls of the club fell. Screams could be heard as the whole of the roof collapsed.
The Jet Set was a nightlife staple in Santo Domingo that was particularly known for its live music on Monday nights. Rescue efforts at the club ended on Thursday, after 189 people had been pulled from the rubble.
