Pope Francis prays for those who died and were injured when a roof collapsed at a nightclub in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, early Tuesday morning.
By Christopher Wells
Pope Francis is praying for the repose of almost 200 people who were killed at a night club in the Caribbean city of Santo Domingo early Tuesday morning.
More than 300 people were in the Jet Set night club in the capital of the Dominican Republic when the roof collapsed. Authorities say 155 people have been rescued from the remains of the building, with emergency service personnel continuing to search the rubble for survivors.
A telegram addressed to the Archbishop of Santa Domingo conveyed Pope Francis’ “sincere condolences” for the families of those who died, along with “expressions of consolation, heartfelt concern, and best wishes for a speedy recovery” for those who were injured.
The Holy Father went on to offer the comfort of his Apostolic Blessing to all those affected by the tragedy, while encouraging “everyone to persevere in their efforts to assist and accompany them.”
In Santa Domingo, the head of the country’s emergency operations centre, Juan Manuel Mendez, said rescuers would not abandon anyone. However, with no survivors rescued within the past 24 hours, hopes were growing dim. A presidential spokesperson said emergency operations would soon transition from “search and rescue” efforts to attempts to recover the bodies of all the victims.
