2 ex-MLB players, singer Rubby Pérez among dozens killed in nightclub roof collapse

At least 79 people were killed and 160 were injured early Tuesday when the roof of the Jet Set nightclub in the Dominican Republic capital of Santo Domingo collapsed during a merengue concert.

Among the victims were two former Major League Baseball players, Octavio Dotel and Tony Blanco, the Ministry of Sports and Recreation confirmed on social media. Merengue singer Rubby Pérez was about an hour into his performance when the roof came down. He was initially reported to have survived, but PEOPLE later reported that the singer was killed in the tragedy.

Dotel spent 15 years in the major leagues, during which he pitched for 13 teams, including the St. Louis Cardinals, with whom he won a world championship, according to the Associated Press. The 51-year-old signed with the New York Mets in 1993 and made his pro debut in 1999.

Dotel was rescued from the rubble, officials told the outlet, but he was later mourned by the ministry. “We deeply regret the passing of former Major League Baseball player and Dominican Sports Legend Octavio Dotel,” officials wrote in Spanish. “His legacy on and off the field leaves an indelible mark on the history of Dominican baseball. Peace to his soul and strength to his family and loved ones.”

Of Blanco, they wrote: “We deeply regret the passing of former Major League Baseball player Tony Blanco. His legacy will live on in the history of national baseball. We share his family, friends, and teammates’ grief and offer our prayers for his eternal rest. Peace to his soul.”

Blanco, 43, played one year in the pros, with the Washington Nationals, in 2005. He spent eight years in the minors and played professionally in Japan, per PEOPLE.

After the initial report of Pérez’s survival, Juan Manuel Méndez, the director of the official Emergency Operations Center, later confirmed to the AP and the New York Times that Pérez had not been located. Details about the death of the singer, who was 69, were not available, according to PEOPLE.

Known for songs such as “Volveré” and “Enamorado de Ella,” Billboard‘s Latin publication noted that Pérez had been “an international ambassador for merengue.”

Early on, daughter Zulinka Pérez, who said she’s also a backup singer of his, had told reporters that her father was OK. “He’s injured, but he’s inside; they found him singing,” she said. “He started singing so they could hear him. He’s always told me: ‘If something ever happens to me, cover me so no one takes pictures.'” A local news outlet also said that he was “stable and hospitalized,” citing Pérez’s manager.

However, a brother of Pérez claimed the singer was still missing. “At the moment, he has not been rescued from the rubble,” the brother told SIN. “He hasn’t been sent to any hospital. Given the time the event occurred, which has already been 14 hours…. Only God’s grace can truly perform a miracle. Rubby is still in the rubble; we haven’t been able to rescue him. We hope he’s alive. We’re sharing this news as a family, and I want it to be the right one.”

Late Tuesday, the profile photo on Pérez’s official Instagram account was all black.

UPDATED: This article has been updated to reflect the death of Pérez.