Providence council expresses condolences after Jet Set nightclub roof collapse in Dominican Republic

The Providence City Council on April 17 adopted a resolution expressing condolences to victims and families of the April 8 roof collapse at the Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, a disaster the council said has deeply affected Providence’s Dominican community.

Majority Leader Pedro Espinal, speaking to the chamber after the resolution was read, described the scale of the disaster and the local impact: he said, “to date that 231 people have been declared dead” and that “about a hundred and eighty-nine” people were injured, noting many remained hospitalized. Espinal also named a Providence resident, Frey Luis Rosario, as among those lost and extended the council’s sympathy to Rosario’s family.

Council members and community leaders in the gallery described vigils held in Providence, named organizing volunteers and said the city’s Dominican diaspora has been tightly affected by the tragedy. Councilwoman Anna Vargas spoke personally about a neighbor, Wasuheili Alvarez, who was reported missing and whose husband remained hospitalized. Another councilor noted the death of the artist Ruby Perez, a frequent traveler to Providence, among the victims.

The resolution, cosponsored by multiple councilors, reaffirms Providence’s solidarity with the Dominican people and pledges support for mourning and healing. Council members said they hope the tragedy will prompt safety and construction reviews beyond the Dominican Republic and cited historical local responses to building-safety tragedies as an example of how policy changes can follow loss. The council adopted the resolution by voice vote.