This week was no different—he was especially excited to see renowned Dominican singer Rubby Pérez perform live. He brought along his wife and sister for the show.
But what began as a joyful evening ended in tragedy. Midway through the performance, the club’s roof suddenly gave way. The building collapsed, killing at least 184 people. Maximo, his wife, and his sister are now among the many trapped beneath the wreckage.
“I haven’t heard anything about them,” says Shailyn Peña, Maximo’s 17-year-old daughter, sitting silently on a low wall outside the crumbled remains of the venue.
“It was just another ordinary Monday night for them,” she adds. “My dad even invited my mom to come, and she almost went—but changed her mind at the last minute. It turned out to be a blessing.”
Behind her, teams of rescue workers sift through the debris, carefully listening for any signs of life. International crews from Israel and Mexico have joined the effort, bringing advanced heat-sensing equipment to help locate survivors.
Among those combing the rubble is Shailyn’s cousin, searching for her uncle. Knowing that a family member is part of the search offers Shailyn a small measure of comfort.
Still, the waiting is excruciating.
“Sometimes I just want to rush in and start moving the rubble myself to find him,” she says. “But I know I can’t. All I can do is wait.”
Authorities continue to provide updates as the death toll rises by the hour. Periodically, rescue workers emerge from the ruins, carrying stretchered bodies wrapped in blankets.
Every now and then, a survivor is pulled from the wreckage, reviving hope among the waiting families. Emergency officials remain cautiously optimistic.
“We’re not giving up,” said Juan Manuel Mendez, Director of the Emergency Operations Centre. “We will search every inch of the site until we can offer families the answers they need.”
In light of the devastating loss, President Luis Abinader has declared three days of national mourning.
Among the deceased are several prominent figures, including Rubby Pérez himself, beloved former baseball stars Octavio Dotel and Tony Blanco, and a regional governor. Alongside them, many fans and merengue music lovers lost their lives in what has become one of the nation’s worst peacetime tragedies.
