Years of water infiltration could be the cause of the tragedy – Liberation

The manager of the company ownership of the nightclub Dominicanof which collapse on April 8 has caused the death of 232 peoplesaid on Wednesday that the establishment had « always » had water infiltration problems and that he had « Never » been controlled by the authorities.

The roof of the night club Jet Set collapsed on the spectators of a concert by the famous singer of Merengue Rubby Perez, who is one of the victims. In particular, you could see air conditioners among the rubble, on the aerial images of the site.

“There have always been infiltrations in the building. Even when we bought it at the end of the 80s, there were filters ”said Antonio Espailt, head of the night club, during an interview with the local Telesistema chain. “We had the plaster ceiling and he always collapsed. This is why the white dust of plaster (fell) because of leaks, air conditioners’ water ”he explained.

« The plaster ceilings absorb all the water, the plaster becomes heavy and falls »he added, stating that on the day of collapse, the ceilings had been replaced.

The government has ordered an investigation into the collapse and according to the first elements, an overload of the structure, combined with a lack of control, caused the tragedy.

Espailt assured that the generator of the nightclub « Was in a room adjacent to the building » since its inauguration 30 years ago and that « The sound (speakers) was glued to the walls with bases on the floor ».

« If it had been something that could have been avoided (…) I would have tried to avoid it. My sister was there, my mother was there ”added the manager. His relatives were buried under the rubble but survived. The manager also indicated that the authorities had « Never » Check if the site had a structural problem.

The Dominican president Luis Abinader had stressed, after the tragedy, that there was no law obliging control of private buildings in the country and had indicated that the government was working on a legislative project on this subject.

Several complaints of families for « manslaughter » against Antonio Espailt but also against « Public institutions » For « Omissions in the accomplishment of legal duties »were deposited.

The presidency promised that justice will take its course without « No government intervention »

Considered the greatest tragedy of the century in Republic Dominicanthe disaster exceeds, in terms of human assessment, the fire in 2005 of a prison in Higuey, in the east of the country, which had cost the life of 136 detainees.