Longtime Major League Baseball pitcher Octavio Dotel died Tuesday following a roof collapse at a nightclub in the capital of the Dominican Republic. He was 51.
The Dominican Republic Professional Baseball League confirmed Dotel died after the roof of the Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo collapsed during a performance by merengue singer Rubby Pérez around 1 a.m. Tuesday. Pérez also died in the collapse, his representative confirmed to CBS News.
“The Professional Baseball League of the Dominican Republic (LIDOM), expresses its sorrow for the passing of former pitcher, Octavio Dotel, who was immortalized by the Dominican Sport Pavilion,” the league said in a social media post.
Dotel, a native of Santo Domingo, played for 13 MLB teams over 15 seasons from 1999 to 2013. He signed with the New York Mets and was traded to the Houston Astros in 2000, where he stayed for five seasons. He went on to play for the Chicago White Sox, the Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals and ended his MLB career with the Detroit Tigers.
At least 58 people died and 155 others were injured when the roof collapsed at the Jet Set nightclub, authorities said. Rescue crews were still searching for potential survivors from the debris.
It is not immediately clear what caused the roof to collapse.
Nelsy Cruz, sister of seven-time MLB All-Star Nelson Cruz and the governor of Montecristi, a northwestern province in the Dominican Republic, was among those killed in the roof collapse, the Cruz family said in an Instagram post.
Cruz had called President Abinader at 12:49 a.m. saying she was trapped and that the roof had collapsed, first lady Raquel Abraje told reporters, according to The Associated Press. Officials said she died later at the hospital.
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