Singer Killed in Nightclub Roof Collapse Identified: Officials Confirm Rubby Perez’s Death

Dominican merengue singer Rubby Pérez has died at 69.

The singer was one of the 119 casualties in a roof collapse at a nightclub in the Dominican Republic. He was performing at the time of the collapse.

The country’s director of Emergency Operations, Juan Manuel Méndez, told press last Tuesday that Pérez’s body had been recovered from the scene of the collapse according to NBC News. Pérez’s manager, Enrique Paulino, also confirmed the death of the singer.

So far, Pérez, two former Major League Baseball stars, and a Dominican governor are among the known victims from the incident. The roof collapse took place at Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo.

As of the end of last week, emergency crews were still navigating their way through the debris to locate additional victims, including any potential survivors.

At least 155 people were transferred to local hospitals, Méndez said. He told press that the country’s emergency medical teams would continue searching as long as there are people still looking for their missing family members.

Three specific areas of the club are the priority, due to first responders hearing sounds underneath the rubble.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Nelson Cruz (@ncboomstick23)

Nelsy Cruz, governor of Montecristi, DR, called the country’s president from underneath the debris. Her brother, former MLB star Nelson Cruz, confirmed his sister’s death on his Instagram account last week.

“With profound pain, the Cruz Martínez family informs the passing of our beloved sister, mother, daughter, aunt and friend: Nelsy M. Cruz Martínez who in her life moved with dedication, commitment and love for her people and community,” Cruz’s post read, in a translation.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by JetSet Club (@jetsetclubrd)

Former MLB players Tony Blanco and Octavio Dotel were also killed in the collapse.

The cause of the roof’s collapse is still under investigation. Owners of the nightclub have said on Instagram that they are fully collaborating with local authorities to understand how this happened.