A tragic nightclub collapse in the Dominican Republic has reportedly left at least 27 people dead and dozens injured, with three former Major League Baseball players reportedly present at the scene shortly before the disaster.
Authorities confirmed that longtime MLB pitcher Octavio Dotel was among eight individuals pulled alive from the rubble of the Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo’s National District.
The venue collapsed early Tuesday morning during a live performance by renowned merengue artist Rubby Pérez.
Journalist Dionisio Soldevila was first to report that Dotel had been buried beneath the debris but was eventually rescued.
According to La Nación, former major leaguers Esteban Germán and Henry Blanco were also at the club earlier in the night but had left before the structure gave way.
Videos shared on social media captured the harrowing moments as clubgoers reacted in panic while the roof began to cave in.
Among the victims was Nelsy Cruz, the sister of former MLB slugger Nelson Cruz, as confirmed by Dominican sports journalist Héctor Gómez.
Pérez, the singer who was performing at the time, reportedly survived.
In the immediate aftermath, emergency teams made 101 ambulance runs to nearby hospitals, according to updates shared by Dominican authorities via social media.
“Our city wakes up to a terrible tragedy that occurred at the Jet Set nightclub. My deepest sympathy goes out to the families still waiting for news of their loved ones,” Santo Domingo Mayor Carolina Mejía de Garrigó posted on X.
The Dominican Ministry of Public Works has launched an investigation into the collapse. The nightclub remains closed and under inspection.
Dotel, now 51, had a 15-year career in Major League Baseball, pitching for a record 13 teams, including the New York Yankees, Houston Astros, and St. Louis Cardinals, with whom he won a World Series in 2011.
He retired with a 59–50 record, a 3.78 ERA, and 109 saves across 758 games.
Esteban Germán, 47, played as a utility infielder from 2002 to 2011 for the Oakland Athletics, Texas Rangers, and Kansas City Royals.
Henry Blanco, 53, spent 16 seasons as a catcher for 11 different teams and has remained involved in MLB as a coach. He currently serves as the Washington Nationals’ catching and strategy coach.
The tragedy has shocked the Dominican baseball community and beyond, as the nation mourns those lost in one of its most beloved nightspots.
