Nightclub roof collapse kills dozens in Dominican Republic, including former MLB players

Rescue workers are frantically searching the rubble after the roof of an iconic Dominican Republic nightclub collapsed early Tuesday, killing more than a hundred people.

At least 300 people were inside Jet Set nightclub, in the capital of Santo Domingo, when the roof collapsed around 1 a.m. during a performance of merengue artist Rubby Pérez and his orchestra, authorities said. Pérez’s whereabouts were unknown Tuesday evening amid fears he could be among those killed.

At least 113 people, including two former Major League Baseball players, were killed, according to emergency services in an update on Wednesday.

The National Emergency System previously announced on Tuesday that more than 200 people had been injured in the roof collapse.

Families of the missing gathered at the scene and shared pictures of their loved ones Tuesday morning as dozens of ambulances rushed the injured to hospital.

“We continue clearing debris and searching for people,” said Juan Manuel Méndez, director of the Emergency Operations Center, on Tuesday night. “We’re going to search tirelessly for people.”

The cause of the collapse is not yet known.

Aerial footage from local news outlets on Tuesday morning showed the venue with a wide, gaping hole in the middle of the building where the audience would have been located during the performance.

Footage from inside the venue appears to show the moment the crisis unfolded.

One video shows the band performing while someone near the stage points out that something had fallen in the back of the Jet Set club. Moments later, pendant lights suspended from the ceiling start to collapse, along with the entire roof overhead. Screams and crashing sounds can be heard for a few seconds before the video goes dark.

Former Major League Baseball player Octavio Dotel was among those killed, according to Méndez and Dotel’s foundation. He died on the way to the hospital after being rescued alive from the rubble, Méndez told CNN.

Dotel’s education academy, Colegio Sabiduría y Baluarte, mourned him in a statement, saying he leaves “an indelible mark on all of us who had the privilege of knowing and working alongside him.”

Another former major leaguer, Tony Blanco, also died after the collapse, MLB Commissioner Robert Manfred and the Dominican Sports Ministry said.

“We share in their grief with their family, friends, and colleagues, and we offer our prayers for their eternal rest,” the ministry said of Blanco in a statement.

Also among the dead was Nelsy Cruz, governor of the Monte Cristi province, Dominican President Luis Abinader said. Cruz was related to MLB all-star Nelson Cruz, according a statement from his family mourning her death.

Meanwhile, the son of Public Works Minister Eduardo Estrella is among the missing, Méndez added.

Personnel from at least 22 public institutions are at the site helping with response efforts, officials said.

Three days of mourning

Abinader has declared three days of mourning following the disaster. He traveled to the nightclub later Tuesday morning with his wife, First Lady Raquel Arbaje, to express their condolences to the victims.

“We deeply regret the tragedy that occurred at the Jet Set nightclub,” Abinader wrote on X. “All rescue agencies have provided the necessary assistance and are working tirelessly in the rescue efforts. Our prayers are with the affected families.”

Carolina Mejía de Garrigó, the city’s mayor, said Santo Domingo was waking “to a terrible tragedy,” offering her condolences to families “still waiting for news of their loved ones.”

The Jet Set nightclub is one of the Caribbean nation’s most famous venues, and its Monday night events are especially well attended.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

CNN’s Avery Schmitz, Jose Alvarez, Pablo Antonio Garcia Escorihuela, Lex Harvey and Lauren Kent contributed to this report.

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