The death toll following the collapse of the roof of a packed nightclub in the Dominican Republic has increased to 124, emergency services have said.
Announcing the new toll, Juan Manuel Mendez, director of Emergency Operations said rescue workers had "24 to 36 hours left" to try to find survivors under the rubble.
The disaster struck during a concert by popular Dominican merengue singer Rubby Perez, who was among those killed, according to his manager and family members near the site.
The event was attended by politicians, athletes and other prominent figures.
Also among the victims was Nelsy Cruz, the governor of the northern Monte Cristi province, President Luis Abinader said.
Ms Cruz was the sister of former baseball player Nelson Cruz, a seven-time MLB All-Star.
Former MLB players Octavio Dotel and Tony Blanco also died in the collapse, local authorities confirmed.
Mr Dotel died en route to a local hospital after being pulled from the debris, a spokesman for the nation's sports ministry said.
The 51-year-old debuted for the New York Mets in 1999 and played until 2013 for more than a dozen teams.
"Thinking about our people in the Dominican Republic," Carlos Mendoza, manager of the Mets, said at a press conference.
A black-and-white photo of the player and images of the Dominican flag were projected onto the scoreboard at Citi Field in New York before yesterday's game between the New York Mets and the Miami Marlins.
"Peace to his soul," the Dominican Republic Professional Baseball League wrote on social media.
Local media said there were between 500 and 1,000 people in the club when the roof collapsed. The club has a capacity for 700 people seated and about 1,000 people standing.
Dozens of ambulances ferried the injured to hospital, as scores of people gathered outside the venue desperately seeking news of their loved ones.
President Abinader visited the scene and declared three days of national mourning.
'Hope for life'
Iris Pena, a woman who had attended the show, told SIN television how she escaped with her son.
"At one point, dirt started falling like dust into the drink on the table," she said.
"A stone fell and cracked the table where we were, and we got out," Ms Pena recounted. "The impact was so strong, as if it had been a tsunami or an earthquake."
Aerial images revealed a large hole where the club's roof once was. A crane was helping lift some of the heavier rubble as men in hard hats dug through the debris.
The Instagram page of the Jet Set club said it has been in operation for more than 50 years, with shows every Monday until the early hours.
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Yesterday, the club issued a statement saying it was working "fully and transparently" with authorities.
The Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti, received over 11 million visitors in 2024, according to the tourism ministry.
Tourism generates about 15% of GDP, with visitors attracted by its Caribbean beaches, music and nightlife, as well as the colonial architecture of Santo Domingo.
