World Series champ Octavio Dotel ‘rescued’ & MLB players caught in club roof collapse chaos as DR death toll rises to 27
WORLD Series champion Octavio Dotel has been safely pulled from the rubble of a nightclub that collapsed and killed at least 27 people.
Dotel was among the dozens of people missing after the ceiling caved in at Jet Set, a popular club in the Dominican Republic where two other former Major League Baseball players also partied before tragedy struck early Tuesday morning.
Over 100 people were hurt when the roof of the club in Santo Domingo collapsed at around 1 am local time, according to Juan Manuel Méndez, the director of the Emergency Operations Center.
Dotel, 51, is alive and was reportedly rescued on Tuesday morning after being stuck under the ceiling for hours, according to MLB insider Héctor Gómez.
Over 100 people have been rescued alive from the terrifying scene, Méndez said.
At least 300 people were inside the venue when it collapsed while merengue artist Rubby Pérez and his orchestra performed on stage, local media reported.
Former MLB players Esteban Germán and Henry Blanco were reportedly in the club during the performance but escaped during the chaos.
Germán posted a video of Pérez performing on his Instagram Story before sharing a message about the accident just an hour later.
“I’m fine thanks to God,” the former Oakland A’s second baseman wrote, adding that he was trying to help at the scene.
Nelsy Cruz, the sister of another former MLB player Nelson Cruz, was among the 27 killed in the accident, DR President Luis Abinader said.
At least 121 people, including Pérez, were rushed to the hospital after the ceiling plummeted, according to the EOC.
Rescue workers are continuing to search for survivors at the scene as many people trapped in the crash are believed to still be alive.
“That is why the authorities here will not give up until not a single person remains under that rubble,” Méndez said.
It’s not clear what caused the roof to collapse.
What to know about the collapse
The roof of the Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic collapsed at around 1am local time Tuesday morning.
Here’s what to know about the collapse:
- Merengue singer Rubby Pérez was performing on stage to at least 300 people at the time.
- Over 100 people have been rescued alive.
- At least 27 people have died.
- 56 ambulances responded to the scene and transported at least 121 survivors to local hospitals.
- Search and rescue teams have said they will continue working until every missing person has been accounted for.
Abinader released a statement saying authorities are working around the clock in rescue efforts.
“We deeply regret the tragedy that occurred at the Jet Set nightclub,” the president said.
“We have been following the case minute by minute since it happened.
“All rescue agencies have provided the necessary assistance and are working tirelessly in the rescue efforts. Our prayers are with the affected families.”
There were 101 ambulance transfers to different hospitals in the area after the collapse.
Pictures of the scene shared on social media show crumbled cement walls and piles of debris among pieces of the roof.
Dotel, a major league pitcher, was sharing pictures and videos to his Instagram Story just hours before the ceiling fell.
The MLB legend is a native of Santo Domingo who played in the majors from 1999 to 2013.
He won a World Series ring while playing for the St. Louis Cardinals in 2011.
Dotel has two kids with his wife, Massiel.