Hall of Fame pitcher Pedro Martinez said Tuesday night that he had family in the rubble of the tragic nightclub collapse in the Dominican Republic that killed at least 124 people.
‘I still have family members that are still in the rubble, and we don’t know what happened to them,’ Martinez said in a video posted to his Instagram account.
Among those killed in the accident were former MLB players Octavio Dotel and Tony Blanco, as well as Nelsy Cruz, a local governor and the sister of seven-time All-Star Nelson Cruz.
‘We want to be strong like we always have been,’ Martinez said. ‘We are a country that prays a lot and remains united all the time.’
The roof collapsed at the Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo early Tuesday morning, creating a mass casualty event in the nation’s capital. Emergency operations director Juan Manuel Méndez said Wednesday morning that it would take rescue workers another 24 to 36 hours to complete their search.
‘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,’ MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement Tuesday.
The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
