Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, June 13 (V7N) – Prosecutors in the Dominican Republic announced on Thursday the arrest of Antonio Espaillat and his sister Maribel Espaillat, owners of the Jet Set nightclub, on manslaughter charges. The arrests stem from the tragic collapse of the club's roof in April, which resulted in the deaths of 236 revelers.

The incident occurred in the early hours of April 8 during a concert by merengue star Rubby Perez. Perez, 69, was among the victims of what has been described as the worst tragedy in the Central American nation in decades. Two retired Major League Baseball players and a provincial governor were also among the deceased.

Antonio Espaillat, a 59-year-old businessman, had previously stated that the roof of the long-standing venue had been leaking for years but had never undergone inspection by authorities. The prosecutor's office has now formally accused him and his sister of "immense irresponsibility and negligence" for failing to carry out necessary repairs to the roof.

The Dominican Republic currently lacks a law mandating safety inspections for privately owned buildings. Following the disaster, President Luis Abinader stated that the government was in the process of drafting a bill to make such inspections compulsory.

The Espaillat family holds significant business interests, owning a media conglomerate and a restaurant in addition to the Jet Set nightclub. They are currently facing more than 50 lawsuits filed by the relatives of the victims. Despite the arrests, the Espaillat family has pledged to cooperate fully with the ongoing investigation.

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