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Teen girl killed in partial building collapse in Portsmouth, RI
"Grief like this touches everyone, our schools, neighborhoods, and firehouse families."
Authorities are investigating after a building partially collapsed over the weekend in Rhode Island, killing a 15-year-old girl and critically injuring a 17-year-old girl.
Police responded around 5:34 p.m. on Saturday to the report of a structural collapse at 35 Power St. in Portsmouth, the department said. The Portsmouth Fire Department was already on the scene, where first responders found that a concrete landing at the top of an exterior stairway on the north side of the building collapsed downward.
The landing settled perpendicular to the ground, trapping the two teen girls, both residents of Portsmouth, below.
According to police, the landing that collapsed led to the building’s second-floor entrance for the Portuguese American Club.
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The 15-year-old girl died in the collapse, and police said Monday that the 17-year-old remains hospitalized in critical condition.
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Three others standing on the landing also were injured in the incident. A 49-year-old woman from Merrillville, Indiana remains hospitalized with serious injuries, a 19-year-old girl from Little Compton, R.I. was treated and released from the hospital, and a 46-year-old man from Portsmouth suffered a minor injury that did not require hospitalization.
“Out of respect for the privacy of the families, the name of the deceased juvenile will not be released at this time,” police said Monday. “Similarly, the names of those injured are being withheld during their ongoing recovery. … We extend our sincere condolences to all those affected by this heartbreaking event and encourage anyone affected by this tragedy to seek support.”
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Portsmouth police said detectives are investigating to determine if any “criminal factors” were involved and has requested the state’s attorney general assist with the investigation.
The town’s building official and town planner will also conduct a separate review, police said.
In a statement, the Portuguese American Club described the incident as an “unthinkable tragedy.”
“The Portsmouth Portuguese American Citizens Club has always taken pride in providing a venue at which our community can congregate and celebrate,” the organization said. “Words, neither written or spoken, can express the sorrow with which we are all stricken. Our thoughts and prayers are with all involved and affected. This tragedy has shaken us all to our core.”
Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee said in a statement on Saturday that his office was “closely monitoring” the incident.
“Our thoughts are with the loved ones of the young victim whose life was tragically cut short, and to those injured in this devastating incident,” he said. “We stand in with the community as they navigate this difficult time.”
In a statement, the union for Portsmouth fire fighters urged community members to “check in on each other” following the tragedy.
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“Words cannot fully express the sorrow we feel for the families, friends, and all those impacted,” the union wrote. “In a close-knit community like ours, the effects of such a loss ripple far beyond what the eye can see. Grief like this touches everyone, our schools, neighborhoods, and firehouse families.
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