2 former MLB players, Octavio Dotel and Tony Blanco, passed away in the tragic roof collapse at a nightclub in the Dominican Republic.

In a tragic incident on Tuesday, around 79 people lost their lives following a roof collapse at a nightclub in the Dominican Republic. Among them were two former MLB players, Octavio Dotel and Tony Blanco.

The incident took place at the Jet Set nightclub early on Tuesday night. Dotel, a former World Series winner with the St. Louis Cardinals, was stuck under the debris for some time. While he was later rescued from the debris, he succumbed to his injuries while on his way to the hospital.

Tony Blanco, the former Washington Nationals star who also played in the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) of Japan, was later announced to have passed away.

According to reports, singer Rubby Perez was performing live on stage when the tragedy occurred. She was also killed in this process. Along with her, Governor Nelsy Cruz, sister of 7-time MLB All-Star Nelson Cruz, also lost her life in this incident. A total of over 150 people were left injured following this tragedy.

In a statement released by Rob Manfred, the MLB Commissioner expressed his sorrow towards this tragic incident and paid his heartfelt condolences.

“Major League Baseball is deeply saddened by the passings of Octavio Dotel, Tony Blanco, Nelsy Cruz and all the victims of last night’s tragedy in Santo Domingo. We send our heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of all those who have been affected and to our colleague Nelson and his entire family. The connection between baseball and the Dominican Republic runs deep, and we are thinking of all the Dominican players and fans across the game today.”