Thirty-one of the 96 people killed in a Rhode Island nightclub last week have
been identified, Gov. Donald Carcieri said at a
news conference.
Ten more positive identifications were made Sunday and
authorities hope to finish examining the bodies within two days.
Local and U.S. authorities are working together on the
identifications, Carcieri said.
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“My whole focus right now is to get the identifications
complete as soon as possible so these families can bring
closure,” Carcieri said. A memorial service was held Sunday
and there will be services today, he said.
The Station club burned to the ground Thursday after sparks from
pyrotechnic machines set fire to soundproofing material lining the
wall and ceiling. About 300 people were in the club at the time.
The fire began during a concert by Great White, a 1980s metal band
whose hits include “Once Bitten, Twice Shy.”
Jack Russell, Great White’s singer, told WJAR-TV the band had
the club manager’s approval for the display. The club released a
statement that its owners didn’t give permission for the band to
use pyrotechnics and had no knowledge of any such plans.
Authorities said nobody applied for a mandatory pyrotechnics
permit for the concert.
Rhode Island Attorney General Patrick Lynch said Saturday
that he is considering calling a grand jury to conduct a criminal
investigation into the fire, the nation’s deadliest nightclub
blaze in more than 25 years.
“We’re working as quickly as we can on the investigation,”
Lynch said during a Sunday news conference.
The Rhode Island fire came less than a week after 21 people
died during a stampede at a Chicago nightclub after security
guards used pepper spray to break up a fight.
Bloomberg News
