A roof that collapsed in a popular nightclub in the Dominican Republic and killed 232 people this month had filtration problems for decades and had repeatedly set with plasterboard, according to its owner.
Antonio Espaillat, who also serves as manager of the Jet Set nightclub in the Dominican capital of Santo Domingo, spoke with the local television station Telesystem on Wednesday in his first interview from the disaster of April 8.
Espaillat told a journalist with the news program the day that the employees had added a new plasterboard to the ceiling hours before the collapse.
He pointed out that the plaster plaques had fallen repeatedly over the years for reasons that include water that leaked through the club’s air conditioning units. However, Espaillat said no one inspected the roof or water leaks.
“We always bought plasterboard. Always,” said Espaillat, who spoke moderately during the interview of almost an hour.
A spokeswoman for Espaillat did not return a message to comment in search of an interview with him.
Espaillat said he learned about collapse when his sister called him under the rubble, trapped along with hundreds of people who attended a concert by the beloved Merengue singer Rubby Pérez, who was among those killed.
“For the families of the victims, I mean I’m sorry. I’m very sorry,” said Espaillat. “I am completely destroyed.”
‘Everyone surprised us’
Espaillat said he was 6 when his mother founded the legendary club 52 years ago. Later, the club moved to a space occupied by a closed cinema and remained in that place for 30 years until the collapse.
He said there were six units of air conditioning on the ceiling, plus three water tanks. An electric plant was installed in an adjacent room, not on the roof, he added.
Every six to eight years, a specialized team would waterproof the roof, with the last waterproofing approximately one month before collapse, he said.
The heavy Woofers who retired music on Jet Set, known for their meringue parties held every Monday, were on the floor, he said.
Espaillat said that if there was something I could have done to avoid collapse, he would have done it.
“There was no warning, nothing. They all surprised us,” he said.
‘I’m going to face everything’
The Dominican government has created a committee that includes local and international experts responsible for investigating collapse.
Some 515 people were in Jet Set when the roof fell on the crowd, according to Espaillat.
In the 53 hours after disaster, the teams rescued 189 survivors. Dozens of others were hospitalized.
The 232 victims include seven doctors; a retired UN official; Former MLB players Octavio Dotel and Tony Enrique Blanco Cabrera; and Nelsy Cruz, the governor of the province of Montecristi and sister of the seven-time All-Star of the Major Nelson Cruz,
At least three demands have been filed.
Espaillat, who said he generally attended Jet Set’s meringue holidays, was in Las Vegas for a convention when his sister called.
“How can a roof collapse?” He remembered asking while flying back to the Dominican Republic.
Espaillat said he did not immediately visit the site upon arrival because the officials worried about their safety, noting that the people on the scene were angry.
He said that he has not slept much since the disaster, and that he has spoken with the families of his employees and some of the victim’s relatives.
“I’m going to face everything,” he said. “I will not go anywhere.”
An ongoing investigation
The investigation of what the collapse caused could take a couple of months and has asked questions about the safety of infrastructure in Santo Domingo and beyond.
There is currently no government agency responsible for inspecting private companies in the Dominican Republic, although President Luis Abinader announced last week that the new legislation is expected to change that.
Yamil Castillo, a structural engineer and vice president of the Company of Engineers of Puerto Rico, said that water leaks can be extremely harmful and must be attended immediately.
Castillo, who does not participate in the collapse investigation, warned that the water that is filtered in the different materials that make up a roof can weigh it, in addition to anything else that is placed on the roof, including air conditioning units.
Salado air also causes corrosion and roof damage, he said.
“These leaks should have solved,” said Castillo, adding that replacing the plasterboard was not enough.
