Former Major League Baseball pitcher Octavio Dotel was among the people pulled from the rubble of a Dominican Republic nightclub after its roof collapsed, resulting in the deaths of at least 27 people, on Tuesday (April 8), the New York Post reported citing Noticias SIN, a local Dominican media outlet.
Dotel, 51, was among at least eight people rescued from the destruction at Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo, the country’s capital city, when the incident took place midway through popular merengue singer Rubby Pérez‘s performance. At least 120 people were reported to have experienced injuries stemming from the collapse.
Nelsy Cruz, the governor of Montecristi, and a saxophonist in Pérez’s band were reported to be among the at least 27 people killed in the incident. Dotel was present at the club and initially reported missing before he was confirmed to have been pulled out alive.
“It happened so quickly. I managed to throw myself into a corner,” said Enrique Paulino, Dotel’s manager, who was wearing a shirt spattered with blood at the scene and told reporters that he initially thought the incident was an earthquake via the New York Post.
Rescue workers are continuing to search as they believe there are 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 Juan Manuel Méndez, director of the Santo Domingo Center of Emergency Operations.
Dotel pitched for 13 teams during his 15-year MLB career, which included winning the 2011 World Series as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals, as well as 100 or more strikeouts during four of his five seasons with the Houston Astros.
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