A nightclub owner which saw its roof collapse, killing 232 people, has said it had been repaired just hours earlier.
Antonio Espaillat was just six years old when his mother founded the legendary club 52 years ago. The club later moved to a space occupied by a movie theatre, where it remained for 30 years until the collapse.
Speaking for the first time since the April 8 disaster at the Jet Set nightclub in the Dominican capital of Santo Domingo, he said he is sorry and “going to face everything”. He told local TV station Telesistema that the roof had filtration problems for decades and had been repeatedly fixed with plasterboard.
He added that plasterboard had fallen repeatedly throughout the years for reasons including water that filtered through the club’s air conditioning units. However, Mr Espaillat said no one ever inspected the roof or water filtrations.
He added that he learned about the collapse when his sister called him from underneath the debris, trapped along with hundreds of others attending a concert by beloved merengue singer Rubby Pérez, who was among those killed. He said: “To the families of the victims, I want to say I’m sorry. I’m very sorry. I am completely destroyed.”
He said there were six air-conditioning units on the roof, 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 specialised crew would waterproof the roof, with the last waterproofing done about a month before the collapse.
The heavy woofers that boomed music at Jet Set, known for its merengue parties held every Monday, were on the floor, he said. He added that if there was something he could have done to avoid the collapse, he would have done it. “There was no warning, nothing. We were all surprised. I’m going to face everything. I’m not going anywhere.”
The Dominican government has created a committee that includes local and international experts tasked with investigating the collapse. About 515 people were at Jet Set when the roof fell on the crowd.
In the 53 hours following the disaster, crews rescued 189 survivors. Dozens of others were hospitalised. He added that he hasn’t slept much since the disaster, and that he has talked to the families of his employees and some of the victim’s relatives.
There is currently no government agency tasked with inspecting the buildings of private businesses in the Dominican Republic, although President Luis Abinader announced last week that new legislation is expected to change that.
Yamil Castillo, a structural engineer and vice president of the Society of Engineers of Puerto Rico, said water leaks can be extremely damaging and should be taken care of immediately.
Mr Castillo, who is not involved in investigating the collapse, warned that water seeping into the different materials that compose a roof can weigh it down, in addition to whatever else is placed on the roof, including air conditioning units.
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