Pictures depicting the funeral of former Major League Baseball player Octavio Dotel have surfaced from the Dominican Republic following his untimely demise in a tragic roof collapse.
The aftermath of the roof collapse at the Jet Set nightclub during a merengue concert has resulted in the loss of over 200 lives, with several hundred individuals sustaining injuries.
Dotel, 51, is among the most notable people to have passed away in the heartbreaking incident.
At the memorial service, grief-stricken individuals can be observed shedding tears, while pallbearers carry his blue casket out of a hearse surrounded by numerous devastated mourners.
The singer performing at the nightclub, Rubby Perez, as well as local governor Nelsy Cruz, sister of MLB veteran Nelson Cruz, also died in the incident.
Fellow Dominican former professional baseball player Tony Blanco passed away in the collapse while successfully saving the life of former MLB star Esteban German.
Photos from the funeral of former Major League Baseball player Octavio Dotel have emerged
More than 200 people have died, with a few hundred more injured, amid the roof collapse
Dotel, 51, is among the most notable people to have passed away in the heartbreaking incident
Dotel spent 15 seasons in Major League Baseball and played for 13 teams, the second most in history.
The relief pitcher is most famous for being on the Cardinals during their 2011 World Series victory, with Nelson Cruz playing for their opponents in that championship tilt, the Texas Rangers.
Dotel was reported as having been rescued from the rubble after screaming for help. However, Dotel’s brother Angel told El Nuevo Diario newspaper that he died before being pulled from underneath the debris.
‘They told us he was alive, but in reality he was dead, since last night,’ Angel said.
‘It is not true that he died on the way… The blow hit him on the head and it seems that it broke his neck.’
Dotel had been heard screaming for help by first responders, according to Dominican television station Supercanal. His death stunned his contemporaries in the baseball community.
‘My brother, this is a pain in my soul. Thank you for being a friend, a brother, and a good one at that,’ Dotel’s former Cardinals teammate Yadier MoIina wrote in an Instagram post. ‘I will always remember you, brother, and the moments we lived through. Thank you for all the moments, leader! We lost a joyful soul!! Rest in peace, my soulmate!’
‘Shocking news, we lost a great person and ball player!’ Venezuelan great Omar Vizquel wrote on X. ‘RIP Octavio Dotel and my deep condolences to his family and all the people affected by this tragedy.’
Dotel is pictured playing for the St Louis Cardinals in 2011, where they won the World Series
There were up to 1,000 people in the club when disaster struck around 12.44am Tuesday
Rescue teams used thermal cameras that can detect victims’ body heat signatures
Longtime baseball writer Jason Stark described Dotel one of his ‘favorite people’ in an X post.
‘In 2019, Edwin Jackson broke his record of most teams pitched for (with 14). So I called him,’ Stark wrote.
”If you got released, that’s cheating,’ Dotel said. ‘So he’s cheating because he got released three times.’ We’ll miss him!’
There were between 500 and 1,000 people in the club when disaster struck at around 12.44am Tuesday, local media reports. The club has capacity for 700 people seated and about 1,000 people standing.
Rescuers raced to find survivors early Wednesday and continue to press on with the search effort, which more than 24 hours after the roof caved in began to be limited more to recovering bodies.
Perez was on stage when there was a blackout and the roof came crashing down, according to eyewitness reports.
MLB released a statement on Tuesday evening saying: ‘MLB 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.’
