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The incident occurred while a band performed onstage at the Jet Set Club in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic on Tuesday, April 8. An undetermined number of people are missing. The collapse happened around 12:30 a.m.
Fray Luis Rosario, who owned restaurants in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, was among the victims in the tragedy.
Rosario ran two Terra Luna cafes — one in Lawrence, Massachusetts, and the other in Providence, Rhode Island — as well as Terra Negra Cantina in Providence and a restaurant in the Dominican Republic
"Personally, I will miss Fray's sense of humor, his creative spirit and commitment to his culture," said Providence-based Federal Hill Commerce Association President Rick Simone in a social media post. "Rest in peace, my friend."
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had announced on Wednesday morning, April 9 that at least one US citizen and an undetermined number of US permanent residents were among the deceased.
About 155 have been hospitalized.
Octavio Dotel, an MLB player for 15 seasons, died en route to the hospital after being pulled from the rubble, according to Héctor Gómez, communications director of the nation's Ministry of Sports.
Dotel, age 51, a right-handed pitcher, played for 13 teams, the second-most teams played by any player in MLB history. He's a native of Santo Domingo. His death was confirmed Tuesday afternoon.
On Wednesday morning, April 9, authorities announced that former Washington Nationals player Tony Blanco was also among those killed.
The 44-year-old Blanco, who played first base, third base, and outfield, appeared in 56 games for the Nats during their inaugural season in 2005, including the first game in franchise history.
He played nine professional seasons in the US and eight more with three teams in Japan. He also played minor league baseball for the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Senators’ Double A Harrisburg Senators team in Pennsylvania.
Two other former MLB players — Henry Blanco and Esteban Germán — were also at the popular club, but left before the collapse
Seven-time MLB all-star Nelson Cruz said his sister, Nelsy Cruz, the governor of the northwestern Dominican Republic province of Montecristi, also was killed in the collapse.
"Her legacy of service and love for others will live forever in our hearts," Nelson Cruz said.
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