Shailyn Peña, a 17-year-old girl, is left in limbo on her birthday as the search continues for her father, Máximo Peña, who was last seen at the Jet Set nightclub during a concert by Dominican singer Rubby Pérez. The club, a familiar venue for Máximo, collapsed unexpectedly, burying him, his wife, and sister under the wreckage, contributing to a rising death toll that has now reached at least 218 people.
"I haven't heard any news about any of them," Shailyn shared, sitting anxiously outside the devastated building. While her father urged her mother to come along for the night out, she declined, a decision Shailyn now sees as a saving grace. As she awaited updates, rescue workers, including teams from Israel and Mexico, diligently searched through the debris with advanced equipment, hoping to locate any survivors.
Shailyn expressed her frustration at being unable to assist with the rescue operations, saying, "I feel the urge to just go in there and push aside all the rocks and pull him out." But as hope began to dim, authorities announced that they would shift from search to recovery efforts after determining "all reasonable chances of finding more survivors have been exhausted."
Officials reported that since the disaster, a total of 189 individuals had initially been rescued alive, but with each hour, the list of deceased grew longer. President Luis Abinader declared three days of national mourning to honor the victims, which include notable figures in Dominican culture.
Investigations into the cause of the collapse are underway, with early theories suggesting that a prior fire at the nightclub could have compromised the structure. Club owner Antonio Espaillat released a statement, offering condolences and assuring full cooperation with authorities during the inquiry.
As the search operations transition, Shailyn's thoughts are occupied by her family’s trauma and the distress of her younger stepsisters, who learned the heartbreaking news of their father and mother from other children. On what should have been a day of celebration, Shailyn faces a tragic reality, emblematic of one of the darkest events in her country’s history.
"I haven't heard any news about any of them," Shailyn shared, sitting anxiously outside the devastated building. While her father urged her mother to come along for the night out, she declined, a decision Shailyn now sees as a saving grace. As she awaited updates, rescue workers, including teams from Israel and Mexico, diligently searched through the debris with advanced equipment, hoping to locate any survivors.
Shailyn expressed her frustration at being unable to assist with the rescue operations, saying, "I feel the urge to just go in there and push aside all the rocks and pull him out." But as hope began to dim, authorities announced that they would shift from search to recovery efforts after determining "all reasonable chances of finding more survivors have been exhausted."
Officials reported that since the disaster, a total of 189 individuals had initially been rescued alive, but with each hour, the list of deceased grew longer. President Luis Abinader declared three days of national mourning to honor the victims, which include notable figures in Dominican culture.
Investigations into the cause of the collapse are underway, with early theories suggesting that a prior fire at the nightclub could have compromised the structure. Club owner Antonio Espaillat released a statement, offering condolences and assuring full cooperation with authorities during the inquiry.
As the search operations transition, Shailyn's thoughts are occupied by her family’s trauma and the distress of her younger stepsisters, who learned the heartbreaking news of their father and mother from other children. On what should have been a day of celebration, Shailyn faces a tragic reality, emblematic of one of the darkest events in her country’s history.
