SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) — The number of dormant successful a tile illness astatine an iconic nightclub successful nan Dominican Republic surged to 218 connected Thursday, an charismatic said.
Juan Manuel Méndez, head of nan Center of Emergency Operations, said crews astatine nan segment were still looking for victims and imaginable survivors, though nary 1 has been recovered live since Tuesday afternoon.
“We’ve practically combed done crushed zero,” he said, adding that there’s 1 very mini area of rubble near that crews are focusing on. “This has been very difficult for america all.”
Doctors warned that immoderate of nan 2 twelve patients who remained hospitalized were still not successful nan clear, particularly nan 8 who were successful captious condition.
“If nan trauma is excessively great, there’s not a batch of time” near to prevention patients successful that condition, said Health Minister Víctor Atallah.
He and different doctors said that injuries see fractures successful nan skull, femur and pelvis caused by slabs of cement falling connected those attending a merengue performance astatine nan Jet Set nightclub successful Santo Domingo, wherever much than 200 were injured.

via Associated Press

MARTIN BERNETTI via Getty Images
On Wednesday, dozens of group had anxiously searched for their loved ones, increasing disappointment upon getting nary answers aft visiting hospitals and nan country’s forensic institute. By Thursday, a lone family remained pinch nary answers.
María Luisa Taveras told TV position Noticias SIN that she was still looking for her sister.
“We person gone everyplace they told us,” she said, her sound breaking.
Taveras said nan family has dispersed out, pinch a comparative stationed astatine each infirmary and astatine nan forensic institute.
The authorities said Wednesday nighttime that it was moving to a betterment shape focused connected uncovering bodies.
The legendary nine was packed pinch musicians, master athletes and authorities officials erstwhile particulate began falling from nan ceiling and into people’s drinks early Tuesday. Minutes later, nan tile collapsed.
Victims see merengue icon Rubby Pérez, who had been singing to nan crowd earlier nan tile fell; erstwhile MLB players Octavio Dotel and Tony Enrique Blanco Cabrera; and Nelsy Cruz, nan politician of nan northwestern state of Montecristi whose relative is seven-time Major League Baseball All-Star Nelson Cruz.
We are shocked and saddened by nan abrupt and tragic decease of erstwhile Major League pitcher Octavio Dotel.
Dotel appeared successful 758 games for 13 teams complete his 15-year career, including parts of 5 seasons pinch nan Houston Astros from 2000-2004. On June 11, 2003, he was 1 of six… pic.twitter.com/4wxawmZv5Y
Also killed was a retired United Nations official; saxophonist Luis Solís, who was playing onstage erstwhile nan tile fell; New York-based manner designer Martín Polanco; nan boy and daughter-in-law of nan curate of nationalist works; nan relative of nan vice curate of nan Ministry of Youth; and 3 labor of Grupo Popular, a financial services company, including nan president of AFP Popular Bank and his wife.
Randolfo Rijo Gómez, head of nan country’s 911 system, said it received much than 100 calls, pinch respective of those made by group buried nether nan rubble. He noted that constabulary arrived astatine nan segment successful 90 seconds, followed minutes later by first consequence units. In little than half an hour, 25 soldiers, 7 occurrence brigades and 77 ambulances were activated, he said.
Crews utilized dogs and thermal cameras to hunt for victims, rescuing much than 180 survivors from nan rubble, authorities said.
It wasn’t instantly clear what caused nan tile to collapse, aliases erstwhile nan Jet Set building was past inspected.
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The authorities said precocious Wednesday that erstwhile nan betterment shape ends, it will motorboat a thorough investigation.
The nine issued a connection saying it was cooperating pinch authorities. A spokesperson for nan family that owns nan nine told The Associated Press that she passed on questions astir imaginable inspections.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for nan Ministry of Public Works referred questions to nan mayor’s office. A spokesperson for nan mayor’s agency did not respond to a petition for comment.