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    Officials scramble to identify victims of Dominican club roof collapse that killed at least 184

    A growing number of them donned face masks and began complaining about a bad odour as they pleaded with officials to give them information about their loved ones.

    Officials scramble to identify victims of Dominican club roof collapse that killed at least 184
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    Rescue workers search for survivors at the Jet Set nightclub after its roof collapsed two nights before during a merengue concert in Santo Domingo

    SANTO DOMINGO: Dozens of people lingered outside the Dominican Republic's forensic institute late Wednesday for news of their loved ones still missing more than a day after a roof collapsed at an iconic nightclub, killing at least 184 people.

    A growing number of them donned face masks and began complaining about a bad odour as they pleaded with officials to give them information about their loved ones.

    Earlier in the day, National Institute of Forensic Pathology officials read the names of 54 victims they had identified so far.

    “We cannot wait until nighttime!” said one woman who was waiting for news of a relative whose name she did not hear. “We're going to go crazy!”

    Officials called for calm, saying they had already delivered at least 28 bodies to their families but did not yet have a tally of all the bodies recovered. Late Wednesday, officials raised the number of dead to at least 184, with dozens more injured.

    “The authorities are selling us false dreams!” cried out José Sánchez, whose brother and brother-in-law were still missing.

    The legendary Jet Set club in Santo Domingo was packed with musicians, professional athletes and government officials when dust began falling from the ceiling and into people's drinks early Tuesday.

    Minutes later, the entire roof collapsed. Concrete slabs killed some instantly and trapped dozens of others on a dance floor where hundreds had been dancing to a lively merengue concert. In the minutes that followed, the country's 911 system received more than 100 calls, many from people buried under rubble.

    The victims include merengue icon Rubby Pérez, who had been singing to the crowd before disaster struck. His body was found early Wednesday, said emergency operations director Juan Manuel Méndez.

    The government announced Wednesday evening that it was suspending the search for survivors and moving into the recovery phase after 145 people were rescued from the wreckage of the nightclub. Rescue crews from Puerto Rico and Israel had arrived early Wednesday to help with the search.

    Santo Domingo Mayor Carolina Mejía praised what she said were acts of love, including one Dominican who was handing out coffee to those at the scene and a man on vacation from Costa Rica who joined the search because he's part of a rescue crew back home.

    AP
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