Getting the chance to see Rubby Pérez and his orchestra perform at the Jet Set nightclub, hundreds of fans packed the venue. While the night appeared to be full of great music and dancing, tragedy struck when the roof collapsed. With rescue workers working tirelessly to locate missing people, reports claimed that over 113 people perished in the accident. Nearby hospitals welcomed over 200 people injured during the tragedy. As that number continues to climb, it appears that former MLB players Octavio Dotel and Tony Blanco were among those who passed at the nightclub.
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Continuing to search for missing people, the director of the Emergency Operations Center, Juan Manuel Méndez promised that workers would not stop until they accounted for each person who attended the concert. Reports suggested that nearly 300 people entered the nightclub. And among those people was Dotel, Blanco, and Nelsy Cruz, the governor of the northwestern province of Montecristi.
Releasing a statement about the passing of both MLB players, commissioner Rob Manfred stated, “Major League Baseball is deeply saddened by the passings of Octavio Dotel, Tony Blanco, Nelsy Cruz, and all the victims of last night’s tragedy in Santo Domingo. We send our heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of all those who have been affected and to our colleague Nelson and his entire family.” He added, “The connection between baseball and the Dominican Republic runs deep, and we are thinking of all the Dominican players and fans across the game today.”
We are heartbroken to learn the tragic news that former Astros pitcher Octavio Dotel was one of several individuals that passed away when a roof collapsed in his native Dominican Republic last night.
— Houston Astros (@astros) April 8, 2025
Dotel, 51, spent five seasons (2000-04) of his outstanding, 15-year Major… pic.twitter.com/wQui3h7rko
MLB Remember Tony Blanco & Octavio Dotel
Offering their love and support throughout the rescue efforts, MLB Players Association executive director Tony Clark discussed the loss of Blanco, Dotel, and Cruz. “We grieve for all the victims and send a special message of support to the families of Octavio Dotel and Tony Blanco, who leave an unspeakable void with their passing, and to Nelson Cruz, whose family lost a shining light with the death of his sister, Nelsy.”
According to the Dominican National Police, Dotel survived the initial collapse with first responders pulling him from the rubble. Sadly, the baseball star never made it to the hospital as a spokesperson for the police department announced, “Dotel was taken to one of the designated hospitals. On the way there, his condition worsened and he died.”
President Luis Abinader, who traveled to the disaster, watched as workers continued to search Wednesday morning. Not quitting until each person was accounted for, the president insisted, “We have faith in God that we will rescue even more people alive.”
(Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
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