51-Year-Old Baseball Legend Killed In Nightclub Roof Collapse
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Tragic news from the world of sports today, as former MLB star Octavio Dotel has passed away at the age of 51.
Preliminary reports indicate that Dotel was one of 44 people who were killed when the roof of a nightclub collapsed in the Dominican Republic.
Multiple news outlets initially reported that he had been removed from the rubble still alive.
Octavio Dotel is now believed to have passed away
According to a report from The New York Post, Dotel, along with eight others, was alive when he was discovered by rescue workers.
Sadly, he later succumbed to his injuries at a nearby hospital.
The retired MLB pitcher, who played for 13 teams over the course of his 15-year career, was one of more than 150 clubgoers who had packed in for a performance by merengue singer Rubby Pérez.
“It happened so quickly. I managed to throw myself into a corner,” Dotel’s manager, Enrique Paulino, told reporters.
At press time, police indicated that rescue crews were still sifting through the debris to find additional survivors.
“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 a spokesperson.
The cause of the collapse remains unknown, and local officials say they’re doing everything in their power to get to the bottom of the matter.
“We deeply regret the tragedy that occurred at the Jet Set nightclub. We have been following the incident minute by minute since it occurred,” President Luis Abinader wrote on X today, according to the Post.
“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 added.
Nelsy Cruz, the governor of Monrecristi and sister of baseball legend Nelson Cruz, was also among the deceased.
We’ll have further updates on this developing story as new information becomes available,
