Dominican Republic

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Search Called Off as Nightclub Death Toll Hits 221

23 of the injured remain in the hospital, 8 in critical condition

(Newser) - Authorities in the Dominican Republic have called off the search for bodies in Tuesday's tragic nightclub roof collapse, with the death toll currently standing at 221, the AP reports. Of the more than 200 injured, 23 remained hospitalized, eight of them in critical condition. Burials were beginning for the...

Big Names Appear Among the Dead in Club Roof Collapse

Those killed at Jet Set club include bank president, merengue icon, government official

(Newser) - The legendary Jet Set club in Santo Domingo was packed with musicians, professional athletes, and government officials when dust began falling from the ceiling and into people's drinks. Minutes later, the entire roof collapsed. Concrete slabs killed more than 113 people and trapped dozens of others on a dancefloor...

2 Former MLB Players Dead in Dominican Republic Disaster
Death Toll in Roof
Collapse Hits 98
UPDATED
Apr 9, 2025 12:30 AM CDT

Death Toll in Roof Collapse Hits 98

And officials warn it is likely to rise, with hundreds still unaccounted for

(Newser) - The death toll in the Dominican Republic roof collapse was at 98 by Tuesday night, with fears that it could continue to increase as authorities say hundreds of people could still be trapped inside the venue, the BBC reports. At least 160 injuries have also been reported, the AP reports....

Dominican Republic Disco's Roof Collapses, Kills at Least 13
More Than 40 Dead in
Disco Roof Collapse in DR
UPDATED
Apr 8, 2025 2:10 PM CDT

More Than 40 Dead in Disco Roof Collapse in DR

About 160 injured as rescue attempts continue

(Newser) - At least 44 people died and 160 others were injured in the Dominican capital early Tuesday when the roof collapsed at a famed nightclub where politicians, athletes and others were attending a merengue concert, per the AP . Crews were searching for potential survivors in the rubble at the one-story...

Last-Known Person to See Missing Student Is Cleared

Friday's written decision explains reasoning for allowing Joshua Riibe to return home

(Newser) - The US college student named as a " person of interest " in the disappearance of Sudiksha Konanki in the Dominican Republic has been officially cleared of wrongdoing, according to reports. Joshua Riibe, the 22-year-old Iowa native who is the last-known person to see Konanki alive, told police he helped...

Last Person Reportedly to See Missing Student Returns to US

Parents ask to have Sudiksha Konanki declared dead

(Newser) - Joshua Riibe, the person believed by authorities to be the last to have been seen with a missing college student, has returned to the US. The 20-year-old flew back from the Dominican Republic on Wednesday, NBC News reports, after a stay he said was extended by officials who kept him...

Authorities Confiscate Man's Passport Over Missing Student

But Sudiksha Konanki's disappearance might still be an accidental drowning

(Newser) - Authorities in the Dominican Republic have confiscated the passport of an Iowa man who was the last person to see a missing University of Pittsburgh student, reports CNN . Investigators continue to interview Joshua Steven Riibe, 22, and he has not been charged with any wrongdoing in the disappearance of Sudiksha...

Last Person to See Missing Student: I Thought I Saved Her

Joshua Riibe says he fought to get Sudiksha Konanki to shore after they were hit by a wave

(Newser) - The last person to see missing University of Pittsburgh student Sudiksha Konanki alive told authorities he thought he'd saved her life in the Dominican Republic. During his fourth interview with prosecutors on Wednesday, Joshua Riibe said the pair were frolicking in waist-deep water near their Punta Cana resort in...

Cops Name Person of Interest Around Missing Spring Breaker

He's believed to be the man who went into the ocean with Sudiksha Konanki, 20

(Newser) - US authorities have identified a person of interest in the disappearance of University of Pittsburgh student Sudiksha Konanki in the Dominican Republic. The man—named by CBS News as 24-year-old Joshua Riibe—was identified Wednesday by the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office in Virginia, where Konanki hails from. The sheriff'...

Missing Spring Breaker May Have Gotten Caught in Big Wave

Sudiksha Konanki vanished in Punta Cana last week

(Newser) - The University of Pittsburgh student who vanished during a spring break trip to the Dominican Republic may have gotten caught in a big wave. Authorities say Sudiksha Konanki, 20, had gone to a nightclub Wednesday night with a group of people who then visited a Punta Cana beach in the...

University of Pittsburgh Student Disappears on Spring Break Trip

Sudiksha Konanki was in Punta Cana with friends

(Newser) - A 20-year-old University of Pittsburgh student disappeared in the Dominican Republic last week while on a spring break trip. Sudiksha Konanki was with five other female Pitt students on a trip to Punta Cana when she was reported missing Thursday, NBC News reports. Local authorities believe she went missing between...

Mom, Young Son Died From Resort Food Poisoning: Suit

Canadian duo died as a result of negligence, says family seeking $10M

(Newser) - Thinking of flying south? Think again, says a Canadian family that's filed a $10 million lawsuit against an all-inclusive resort in the Dominican Republic, where a mother and son allegedly developed fatal food poisoning. April and Stephen Gougeon and their two young sons Wesley and Oliver dined at a...

14 Bodies Found Aboard Boat Drifting Off Dominican Republic
Mysterious Drifting Boat
Reveals 14 Skeletons
in case you missed it
Aug 11, 2024 12:50 PM CDT

Mysterious Drifting Boat Reveals 14 Skeletons

Dominican Republic authorities say bodies, packages with apparent drugs were found on board

(Newser) - Authorities this week discovered an abandoned boat floating off the Dominican Republic's northern coast, with a most gruesome discovery on board: 14 sets of mostly decomposed human remains, as well as a dozen packages of what appears to be illegal drugs. The AP reports that the vessel was spotted...

Feds: Flight Attendants Smuggled $8M in Drug Money

They allegedly abused access to fast lane at JFK Airport

(Newser) - Four flight attendants who worked on routes to the Dominican Republic from New York's JFK Airport allegedly abused their easy route through security by smuggling millions of dollars to the Caribbean country. Federal prosecutors say the flight attendants had access to the Known Crewmember fast lane, which allowed them...

American Flight Bound for NC Makes a Sad, Unexpected Stop

Indiana woman dies after falling sick midflight; plane made emergency landing on Caribbean isle

(Newser) - A flight from the Dominican Republic to North Carolina made an emergency stop in the Turks and Caicos Islands this week after a woman fell ill during the trip and later died. A Wednesday social media post from the archipelago's police force, which deemed the incident a "sudden...

Brazilian Butt Lifts Are Killing Americans Abroad

Nearly 100 people from the US have died in the Dominican Republic since 2009

(Newser) - US health officials say 93 Americans have died after cosmetic surgery in the Dominican Republic since 2009, with many of the recent deaths involving a procedure known as a Brazilian butt lift. The operation has grown in popularity recently and has led to deaths in other countries as well, including...

MLB Star Accused of Paying Underage Girl's Mom

Wander Franco is in jail in the Dominican Republic

(Newser) - Dominican prosecutors have accused Wander Franco of commercial sexual exploitation and money laundering following allegations that the Tampa Bay Rays shortstop had a relationship with a minor whose mother also faces the same charges. Prosecutors requested that a judge hold Franco on an $86,000 bond, bar him from leaving...

In Case of Accused MLB Star, 'New Evidence Has Been Found'

But raids in Dominican Republic in search of Tampa Bay Rays' Wander Franco come up empty

(Newser) - The search for a Tampa Bay Rays shortstop continues. Authorities in the Dominican Republic searched in vain Tuesday for Wander Franco at his home there and his mother's following this summer's allegations that the 22-year-old had engaged in an inappropriate relationship with at least one minor, reports the...

11 Dead, 31 Rescued After Helicopter Spots Capsized Boat

Boat loaded with suspected migrants overturned near Puerto Rico

(Newser) - A boat loaded with suspected migrants capsized north of an uninhabited island near Puerto Rico and 11 people had been confirmed dead while 20 men and 11 women were rescued Thursday, authorities said. It wasn't immediately clear how many people were aboard the boat when it turned over, said...

9 Dead, Including Music Producer, in Plane Crash

Gulfstream jet had just taken off from Dominican Republic airport, headed to Florida

(Newser) - A private jet attempting to land minutes after beginning a flight to Florida crashed in the Dominican Republic on Wednesday, killing all nine people aboard, including Puerto Rican music producer José Ángel Hernández, the aircraft's operating company reported. Helidosa Aviation Group said on its Twitter account that...

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