Morgues overwhelmed in Dominican Republic after Jet Set nightclub tragedy: Video
Grief-stricken families gathered outside morgues in Santo Domingo on Friday as the Dominican Republic grapples with the aftermath of a devastating tragedy at the popular Jet Set nightclub, where more than 200 people lost their lives earlier this week.
Outside one of the overwhelmed morgues, dozens of families waited in anguish - some for days - to retrieve the bodies of their loved ones. Many have yet to receive official confirmation or information from authorities, adding to their heartbreak.
"It has been distressing, very distressing, you can't imagine," said Yuni Garcia, who lost her brother, Johnny Humberto Garcia, a security guard at the club. “They brought him here at ten o'clock in the morning, but they haven't told us anything else,” she told the AFP
According to Garcia, her brother’s body was only discovered early Thursday morning, buried under debris in what was one of the final recovery zones at the disaster site.
The scene outside morgues in the capital has grown increasingly chaotic. Relatives shared emotional accounts of confusion, misidentification, and delays in body handovers.
"On Wednesday, we spent the whole day here,” said Julio Alberto Acosta, who is waiting for the body of his stepdaughter, Nelsy Anabel Melo. “At the last minute, they gave us a bag. We said: 'We have to open it to see if it's her.' But it wasn't. Then they just told us to come back tomorrow. They have you [waiting] like that.”
“We’ve been here since Tuesday morning,” added Melvin Gil, 47, whose niece is among the victims. “It has been very tedious. On top of the anguish of the death of a relative, they still haven't handed over the body. It’s a very painful process.”
Authorities have not yet released a full list of confirmed victims from the Jet Set nightclub disaster, which is still under investigation. While the government has deployed emergency response teams and grief counselors, the lack of clear communication and morgue capacity has sparked public frustration.
The Jet Set nightclub is one of Santo Domingo’s most iconic entertainment venues.
