The Dominican Republic National Police confirmed 79 people were killed at the Jet Set nightclub as of Tuesday night
Rubby Pérez, the merengue singer who was performing at the Jet Set night club in Santo Domingo when its roof collapsed, is dead. He was 69.
Enrique Paulino, Pérez’s manager, confirmed the news to PEOPLE after Rolling Stone and Listín Diario reported on his death. Pérez’s Instagram profile picture was also changed to black. No other details were released.
Pérez released 13 albums throughout his career and is remembered for hits like “Volveré,” per El Colombiano. Following news of his death, multiple tributes began to pour in for him on his last Instagram post.
The Dominican Republic National Police confirmed 79 people were killed as a result of the roof collapse as of Tuesday night. So far, 155 transfers have been made to hospital centers in the National District.
Also among the confirmed deceased are Tony Blanco, a former Major League Baseball player and father of current Pittsburgh Pirates prospect Tony Blanco Jr., as well as former MLB pitcher Octavio Dotel.
Nelsy Cruz, governor of northwestern Dominican Republic province of Montecristi and sister of former MLB star Nelson Cruz died. According to Rolling Stone, a saxophonist performing on stage with Pérez is also dead.
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The news comes after the national police said earlier on Tuesday that “authorities reiterate that search, rescue, and medical care work continues uninterruptedly, under strict inter-agency coordination to provide support to victims and their families.”
Rolling Stone reported that earlier in the day, Pérez’s family had stated that the merengue singer was transported to a local hospital after paramedics “found him singing” under rubble.
“We hope to God that he recovers soon … He’s injured, but he’s hospitalized; they found him singing. He started singing so they could hear him. He’s always told me: ‘If something ever happens to me, cover me so no one takes pictures,’ ” his daughter Zulinka Pérez told Spanish press, per the outlet.
The outlet said that before his death, he was transferred to the Plaza de Salud hospital for treatment.
