Reports from the Dominican Republic painted a harrowing picture as rescue workers frantically transported the injured to hospitals after the roof of a nightclub collapsed early Tuesday, killing at least 184 people, including former Major League baseball players, according to officials. 

That figure, preliminary at the time of this writing, is expected to rise. 

Juan Manuel Méndez, director of the Emergency Operations Center, told CNN that at least 155 people had been admitted to hospitals. 

When the roof collapsed, he added that approximately 300 individuals were inside the Jet Set nightclub in the capital, Santo Domingo, during a crowded musical performance. 

Efforts to locate survivors continued into the evening. 

Families of the missing gathered at the scene, sharing pictures of their loved ones while dozens of ambulances rushed the injured to hospitals. 

Officials reported that personnel from at least 22 public institutions assisted on-site with the response efforts. The cause of the collapse has not been determined yet. 

Aerial footage from local news outlets on Tuesday revealed the scope of the roof system failure, with a gaping hole in the center of the building where the audience would have been during the performance. 

Authorities stated that the roof caved in around 1 a.m. local time while merengue artist Rubby Pérez and his orchestra were on stage. 

One video captures the band performing as someone near the stage points out a disturbance at the back of the Jet Set club. Moments later, pendant lights suspended from the ceiling and then the entire roof collapsed. 

Screams and crashing sounds can be heard for several seconds before the video cuts out. 

Pérez’s daughter informed local media that her father survived the collapse, stating that rescue workers found him singing beneath the rubble. “He started to sing so they could hear him,” she said. 

CNN reported that former MLB pitcher Octavio Dotel was among those killed, as confirmed by Méndez and Dotel’s foundation. He died en route to the hospital after being rescued alive from the debris, according to Méndez. 

A standout reliever, Dotel spent 15 seasons in the majors. After breaking into the MLB with the New York Mets, he spent five seasons with the Houston Astros. 

He developed into a reliable late-inning option, posting a 3.25 ERA over 449 innings with the Astros. In 2004, he served as the team's primary closer before being traded to the Athletics, where he saved a career-high 36 games that season.

He also spent time with the New York Yankees, Kansas City Royals, Atlanta Braves, Chicago White Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, Los Angeles Dodgers, Colorado Rockies, Toronto Blue Jays, St. Louis Cardinals and Detroit Tigers.

Dotel’s educational academy, Colegio Sabiduría y Baluarte, expressed mourning in a statement, saying he leaves “an indelible mark on all of us who had the privilege of knowing and working alongside him." 

Another former major leaguer, Tony Blanco, also died following the collapse, as stated by MLB Commissioner Robert Manfred and the Dominican Sports Ministry. 

"We share in their grief with their family, friends, and colleagues, and we offer our prayers for their eternal rest,” the ministry expressed regarding Blanco in a statement. 

Nelsy Cruz, governor of Monte Cristi province, was among the deceased, according to Dominican President Luis Abinader and was related to MLB All-Star Nelson Cruz, as noted by his family. 

The son of Public Works Minister Eduardo Estrella remains among the missing, Méndez added. 

Abinader has declared three days of mourning following the disaster. He and his wife, First Lady Raquel Arbaje, visited the nightclub later Tuesday morning to convey their condolences to 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." 

Carolina Mejía de Garrigó, the city’s mayor, noted that Santo Domingo was waking “to a terrible tragedy,” extending her condolences to families “still waiting for news of their loved ones." 

The Jet Set nightclub is one of the Caribbean nation’s most famous venues, known for exceptionally well-attended events on Monday nights.