US Expresses "Deepest Condolences" Regarding the Deaths From Collapse of Night Club Roof in Dominican Republic

WASHINGTON, DC - The Trump administration  on Friday expressed its “deepest condolences” to the government and people of the Dominican Republic in the deaths resulting from the collapse of a popular night club in the capital Santo Domingo.

US Department of State Spokesperson Tammy Bruce said that Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader on Friday “to express his deepest condolences following the roof collapse at Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo.

“The tragic incident resulted in a significant loss of life, including several US citizens,” Bruce said. “Our hearts go out to their families and to our Dominican friends who lost loved ones.

She said Rubio, who was born in Miami to Cuban immigrants, offered “heartfelt sympathies on behalf of the American people and underscored the United States’ solidarity with the people of the Dominican Republic during this difficult time.

“He commended the swift response of Dominican Republic authorities and emergency personnel, and highlighted the vital assistance provided by the Governor of Puerto Rico Jenniffer González Colón and the Puerto Rico Fire Department,” Bruce said.

She said Rubio and Abinader also “reaffirmed the strength of the US-Dominican Republic relationship and the enduring ties that bind our peoples.”

With the death toll at 221, authorities in the Dominican Republic on Friday called off the search for bodies, as burial began for lost ones in the collapsed, cement-roofed night club on Tuesday.

The club’s owners said they are cooperating with authorities, as the government vowed to launch a thorough probe into the tragedy.