2 former Major League Baseball players die of a collapsed roof in Dominican nightclub

Longtime Major League Baseball pitcher Octavio Dotel and former Major League Baseball player Tony Blanco are a dead man The roof of a nightclub collapses Tuesday in the capital of the Dominican Republic. Authorities said at least 67 people died and dozens were injured when the roof collapsed in a jet nightclub. Rescuers are still searching for potential survivors of the debris.

Dominican Republic’s Professional Baseball League confirmed Dotel died after Melenger singer Rubby Pérez collapsed during a performance around 1 a.m. Tuesday. Dotel died after the roof collapsed at Jet Set Nightclub in Santo Domingo. His representative confirmed to CBS News that Perez also died of a collapse.

“The Lidom of the Dominican Republic expressed grief over the death of former pitcher Octavio Dotel, who was immortalized by the Dominican Stadium,” the league said in a social media post.

Dotel, 51, is a native of Santo Domingo, who played for 13 MLB teams in 15 seasons from 1999 to 2013. He signed with the New York Mets and was traded to the Houston Astros in 2000, where he spent five seasons. He continued to play for the Chicago White Sox, Pittsburgh Buccaneers, St. Louis Cardinals and ended his MLB career with the Detroit Tigers. He won the World Series with the Cardinals in 2011.

The Dominican Republic’s Ministry of Sports and Entertainment confirmed Blanco’s death in a statement Tuesday.

“We deeply regret the death of former Major League Baseball player Tony Blanco, the organization said in a social media post. “His legacy will continue to exist in national baseball history. We share their sorrows with family, friends and colleagues and provide prayers for their eternal rest.”

Blanco, 44, was born in San Juan de la Maguana, in the Dominican Republic. He was a third baseman and outfielder, playing minor league baseball for eight years in the United States. He won the Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Washington Nationals in 2005. He played for the Nippon Professional baseball team Orix Buffaloes for the last time in Japan, 2016.

Nelsy Cruz is the sister of seven times Major League Baseball Nelson Cruz, the governor of Montecristi, the Northwestern province of the Dominican Republic, also was killed in a collapse of the roof, the Cruz family said in an Instagram post.

First lady Raquel Abraje told reporters that the Associated Press reported that Nelsy Cruz called President Abinader shortly after the collapse and said she was trapped and the roof collapsed. Officials said she later died in the hospital.

Major League Baseball Commissioner Robert Manfred Jr.

“We send our heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of all affected people and to our colleague Nelson and their entire family,” Manfred said. “The connection between baseball and the Dominican Republic is deep and we are thinking about all Dominican players and fans throughout the game.”

Contributed to this report.