BOSTON — Boston Red Sox legend Pedro Martinez said he had family members inside a nightclub in the Dominican Republic when the entire roof collapsed early Tuesday morning, killing more than 100 people.
At least 124 people lost their lives, and more than 250 more were injured by falling concrete slabs at the legendary Jet Set club in Santo Domingo, the Associated Press reported.
In a video shared on Instagram late Tuesday night, Martinez said members of his family were involved in the tragic incident.
“Our hearts are with you, and we all are affected. I still have family members that are still in the rubble, and we don’t know what happened to them,” Martinez said in the video. “We just want to be strong like we’ve always been. We are a country that prays a lot and remains united all the time, so I just hope that everybody has the same courage.”
Merengue icon Rubby Pérez was singing to the crowd, which consisted of musicians, professional athletes, and government officials, when dust began falling from the ceiling and into people’s drinks. Disaster then struck.
Emergency officials said the body of Pérez was found in the rubble early Wednesday.
Also among those killed were MLB pitcher Octavio Dotel and Dominican player Tony Enrique Blanco Cabrera, who started his career within the minor league system of the Boston Red Sox.
So far, only 54 people have been identified. But countless more remained unidentified.
Video from inside the club showed people dancing and the moment the roof gave way. Rescue crews were still searching for potential survivors more than 24 hours after the collapse.
Rescue crews from Puerto Rico are assisting with the efforts.
It wasn’t immediately clear what caused the roof to collapse or when the Jet Set building was last inspected.
The president of the Dominican Republic has declared three days of mourning in the wake of the disaster.
Martinez, now 53, was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2015 after an 18-year career that included seven seasons with the Red Sox.
He posted a 117-37 record and a 2.52 ERA, racking up 1,683 strikeouts over nearly 1,900 innings pitched during his time in Boston.
Marinez helped pitch the Red Sox to a World Series championship in 2004.
Reporting from the Associated Press was included in this report.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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