Dominican Republican nightclub collapse kills at least 79

A catastrophic roof collapse at a nightclub in the Dominican Republic's capital left at least 79 people dead on Tuesday and emergency crews were working frantically after nightfall to pull survivors from the rubble, Reuters reports.

About 155 people were injured.

Families of the victims gathered near the Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo seeking information about their loved ones. The deceased included a popular singer, a provincial governor, and former Major League Baseball pitcher Octavio Dotel, Reuters reported citing authorities.

Juan Manuel Mendez, head of the Dominican Republic's emergency operations center, said earlier on Tuesday that the exact number of people inside the club at the time of the collapse remained unclear

The disaster struck during a concert by popular Dominican merengue singer Rubby Perez, who was among those killed, according to his manager and family members near the site. The event was attended by politicians, athletes and other prominent figures.

Also among the victims was Nelsy Cruz, the governor of the northern Monte Cristi province. Cruz was the sister of former baseball player Nelson Cruz, a seven-time MLB All-Star.

Former MLB players Octavio Dotel and Tony Blanco also died in the collapse, local authorities confirmed. Dotel died en route to a local hospital after being pulled from the debris, a spokesman for the nation's sports ministry said.

Dotel, 51, debuted for the New York Mets in 1999 and played until 2013 for more than a dozen teams.