Jet Set Club Owner Does First Interview Since Tragedy
Courtesy of El Día.
A few weeks after the Jet Set nightclub tragedy in the Dominican Republic, its owner is breaking his silence about the situation. Antonio Espaillat talked about the history of the establishment and whether there were any checks for structural safety beforehand.
On the early morning of April 8, the roof collapsed at the Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo. Merengue legend Rubby Pérez was putting on a concert with a packed crowd. The tragedy has claimed the lives of 232 people, including Pérez and former MLB icon Octavio Dotel. 225 people were also injured in the collapse. In an interview with El Dia RD, Espaillat opened up for the first time since the disaster.
“If this could have been avoided, I would have done just that to avoid it because my sister was there,” Espaillat said. “My mom was always there.”
While the cause of the roof collapse is still under investigation, Espaillat revealed that Jet Set nightclub had never undergone structural safety inspections and that it’s not a common practice in the Dominican Republic. His family had owned the establishment for about 30 years. Espaillat added that there were six air conditioning units on the roof that would leak onto the plaster ceiling panels. His team would routinely replace those damaged panels, including the night before the tragedy.
“To the families of the victims, I want to say I’m sorry,” Espaillat said. “I’m very sorry. I am completely destroyed. There was no warning, nothing. We were all surprised.”
While local authorities look into the incident, Espaillat added that he is ready to take responsibility for what happened. “I’m going to face everything,” he said. “I’m not going anywhere.” Earlier this month, Dominican superstar Tokischa teamed up with the Jompéame Foundation to launch an emergency relief effort for the victims and their families.