Hundreds of people filled the popular nightclub Jet Set in the capital Santo Domingo just after midnight on Monday, local time.
Many of them were buried in what a visitor described as "an earthquake".
Suddenly, dust began to fall into the drink on the table. A stone fell and broke the table where we stood, says Iris Peña in Dominican TV.
Together with her son, she managed to get out of the building before the roof collapsed completely.
The force was so great, like a tsunami or an earthquake.
Large hole
Around 150 people are being treated for injuries and at least 144 people had been confirmed dead when the rescue service announced on Wednesday evening, Swedish time, that the search for more survivors would be scaled down.
The search will be concluded today, says José Luis Frometa Herasme, head of the fire department in Santo Domingo.
At most, more than 370 rescue workers combed through piles of fallen bricks, steel bars, and sheet metal pieces after signs of life.
We have friends and relatives who are lying in the rubble, says Rodolfo Espinal, one of all those who gathered outside the building waiting for news, to AFP.
In films recorded by club visitors, a man is seen suddenly pointing to the roof and saying that something is falling. Barely 30 seconds later, a loud noise is heard before everything goes black, reports BBC. "Dad, what happened?", a woman is heard shouting.
In pictures taken after the collapse, a large hole gapes where the building's roof used to be.
The accident occurred when parts of the elite in the country, just like every Monday evening for the past 50 years, had gathered to dance to merengue and bachata music, writes Spanish El País.
The singer died
Among the dead is the renowned Dominican merengue singer Rubby Pérez, who was on stage with his orchestra when the roof collapsed. His daughter managed to get out alive.
Also among the dead are the former professional baseball players Octavio Dotel and Tony Blanco, as well as Nelsy Cruz, governor of the province of Monte Cristi.
Several of the dead were alive when they were pulled out of the building, writes El País, but died later from crush injuries.
The collapse is one of the greatest tragedies to affect tourist-heavy Dominican Republic in recent years. Why the roof collapsed is still unclear. However, the same nightclub was affected by a fire in 2023, notes El País.
