Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez says some family members missing after roof collapse
By Homero De la Fuente, CNN
(CNN) — Baseball Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez said he has family members that are still unaccounted for following the tragic roof collapse in the Dominican Republic.
“We are all affected,” Martinez said in a video posted on his Instagram Tuesday night. “I still have family members who are still in the rubbles and we don’t know what happened to them.”
Martinez added: “But we just want to be strong, like we have always been. We’re a country that prays a lot and remains united all the time, so I just hope everybody has the same courage.”
At least 300 people were inside Jet Set nightclub early Tuesday morning, in the capital of Santo Domingo, when the roof collapsed around 1 a.m. during a performance of merengue artist Rubby Pérez and his orchestra, authorities said.
At least 124 people, including two former Major League Baseball players, were killed, according to Juan Manuel Méndez, the director of the Emergency Operations Center, in an update on Wednesday.
In 18 seasons, Martinez played for five teams and is three-time Cy Young Award winner and eight-time All-Star. He retired following the 2009 season and has worked as an analyst for TBS’s MLB coverage and MLB Network.
Dominican President Luis Abinader has declared three days of mourning following the disaster. He traveled to the nightclub Tuesday morning with his First Lady Arbaje to express their condolences to families of the victims.
“We deeply regret the tragedy that occurred at the Jet Set nightclub,” Abinader wrote on X. “All rescue agencies have provided the necessary assistance and are working tirelessly in the rescue efforts. Our prayers are with the affected families.”
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