World Series baseball champ dead after nightclub roof collapses
World Series baseball star Octavio Dotel is among the 58 people dead and more than 150 injured after the roof of a packed nightclub collapsed in the Dominican Republic.
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World Series baseball champ Octavio Dotel is among the at least 58 people killed when a Dominican Republic nightclub roof collapsed, according to local media reports.
Dotel was among the eight people pulled alive from the rubble after the roof came down at the renowned Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo as popular merengue singer, Rubby Pérez, was mid-performance, Noticias SIN reported.
But the 51-year-old later succumbed to his injuries and died, head of emergency operations Gen. Juan Manuel Mendez confirmed to Noticias SIN.
At least 150 people were injured inside the packed nightspot.
Pérez was pulled alive from the rubble, according to local media.
“It happened so quickly. I managed to throw myself into a corner,” he said, adding he initially thought it was an earthquake.
His manager, Enrique Paulino, whose shirt was spattered with blood, told reporters at the scene that the group’s saxophonist was among those crushed to death.
Meanwhile, Nelsy Cruz, the governor of Montecristi, was among the dead, authorities said.
Cruz is the sister of former major league slugger Nelson Cruz.
The Post confirmed that former pitcher Dotel, who was originally signed by the New York Mets and later played for the Yankees, was at the club at the time of the collapse.
Dotel pitched for eight clubs over his career after starting out with the Mets in 1999, and was with the Yankees in 2006.
The 51-year-old righty pitched in the majors for 15 years and was a member of the 2011 St. Louis Cardinals team that won the World Series over the Texas Rangers.
Rescue crews were still sifting through the debris to find additional survivors, police said.
“We presume that many of them are still alive, and that is why the authorities here will not give up until not a single person remains under that rubble,” said Juan Manuel Méndez, director of the city’s Center of Emergency Operations.
At one of the many hospitals where the injured were taken, an official stood outside reading out the names of survivors as a crowd gathered and desperately screamed out the names of their loved ones.
It wasn’t immediately clear what caused the roof to collapse.
According to Noticias Sin, 31 of the injured were taken to Dr. Dario Contreras Hospital, with 12 in critical condition.
President Luis Abinader said that all rescue agencies were “working tirelessly” to help those affected.
“We deeply regret the tragedy that occurred at the Jet Set nightclub. We have been following the incident minute by minute since it occurred,” he wrote on X.
Santo Domingo Mayor Carolina Mejía de Garrigó added: “Our city wakes up to a terrible tragedy that occurred at the Jet Set nightclub. My deepest sympathy goes out to the families still waiting for news of their loved ones.”
In a statement, the US embassy in Santo Domingo expressed condolences over the tragedy.
“We stand in solidarity with the families of the victims, the injured and all the Dominican people at this difficult time,” Charge d’Affaires Patricia Aguilera wrote on Facebook.
“We appreciate the tireless efforts of the rescue teams,” she said.
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Originally published as World Series baseball champ dead after nightclub roof collapses
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