Dominican Republic rescue workers ended the search for survivors of a nightclub roof collapse as the death toll surpassed 180 in the Caribbean nation's worst disaster in decades.

Emergency personnel late on Wednesday reported 60 more deaths compared to the morning's count, with the total confirmed tally reaching 184.

An official statement had earlier said that "all reasonable possibilities of finding more survivors" had been exhausted, and the focus of the operation will turn to recovering bodies.

"Today we will complete the rescue effort," said Jose Luis Frometa Herasme, head of the fire service in the Dominican capital Santo Domingo, where the tragedy ocurred at the Jet Set nightclub in the early hours of Tuesday, sending shockwaves through the nation.

Relatives of missing people were still waiting desperately for news on Wednesday of their loved ones outside the ruined club, at hospitals and at the local morgue.

Over 300 rescue workers, aided by sniffer dogs, had spent two days combing through mounds of fallen bricks, steel bars and tin sheets, supported by firefighters from Puerto Rico and Israel.

Aerial images of the site showed a scene resembling the aftermath of an earthquake, with a gaping hole where the roof of the club – a fixture of Santo Domingo's nightlife for half a century – had been.

Over 500 people were also injured when the roof caved in while renowned merengue singer Rubby Perez was performing for a crowd of hundreds.

Perez and two former Major League Baseball players were among the dead.

President Luis Abinader has declared three days of national mourning. (AFP)