Octavio Dotel, former MLB World Series champion, dies after nightclub roof collapse

Octavio Dotel, former MLB pitcher and World Series champion, died after a roof collapsed at a nightclub in the Dominican Republic.

The Professional Baseball League of the Dominican Republic confirmed on X that Dotel was killed.

He was rescued from the debris and transported to a hospital before he died. He was 51 years old.

Dotel played for 13 MLB teams during his 15-year major league career. He made his debut with the New York Mets, and last appeared in a game with the Detroit Tigers in 2013.

FILE - Octavio Dotel of the Detroit Tigers poses for a portrait on Feb. 19, 2013 in Lakeland, Florida. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

He was a member of the Cardinals team that defeated the Texas Rangers in game seven of the 2011 World Series.

What happened?

What we know:

The roof collapsed at the Jet Set nightclub nearly an hour after the merengue concert headed by Rubby Pérez began, which was known for hosting merengue parties every Monday that drew international and national artists and high-profile Dominicans.

A video posted on social media shows parts of the roof falling as people began to move away seconds before the entire roof fell.

Nelsy Cruz, the governor of Monte Cristi province and sister of seven-time Major League Baseball All-Star Nelson Cruz, was the first person to alert Dominican President Luis Abinader about the disaster. She called him and said she was buried under the debris, according to First Lady Raquel Abraje.

Nelsy Cruz later died at the hospital from her injuries, officials said.

What we don't know:

Officials said it was too early to determine what caused the roof to collapse.

Jet Set issued a statement saying it was cooperating with authorities. "The loss of human life leaves us in a state of deep pain and dismay," it said.

It wasn’t clear when the Jet Set building was last inspected.

Search for survivors continues

Nearly 80 people have died and another 160 were injured early Tuesday, authorities said. 

What's next:

Rescue crews were still looking for survivors as of late Tuesday afternoon, and government officials have not said when they would shift to a recovery phase.

While an in-depth investigation into the collapse is expected, authorities have not yet commented on what might have caused the roof to fall, including any potential preliminary findings.

Prosecutor Rosalba Ramos told TV station CDN that while "everyone wants to know" what happened, authorities were still focused on finding survivors.