PORTSMOUTH — A 15-year-old girl died when a concrete landing collapsed at the Portuguese American Club, trapping her and another teenager beneath the structure.
The incident occurred at approximately 5:34 p.m. June 7 at 35 Power Street, according to Portsmouth police.
The concrete landing was located at the top of an exterior stairway on the north side of the building and led to the second-floor entrance of the club.
The landing detached from the building and collapsed downward, settling perpendicular to the ground.
A 17-year-old girl, also from Portsmouth, was trapped beneath the collapsed structure and remains in critical condition at the hospital.
Three people who had been standing on the landing also sustained injuries.
A 19-year-old woman from Little Compton was treated and released from the hospital.
A 49-year-old woman from Merrillville, Indiana, remains hospitalized with serious injuries.
A 46-year-old Portsmouth man suffered a minor injury and was not hospitalized.
Police are not releasing the name of the deceased teenager out of respect for the family’s privacy.
The names of the injured are also being withheld during their recovery.
The Portsmouth Police Detective Division is investigating whether any criminal factors were involved.
The Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office is assisting with the investigation.
The criminal investigation is separate from a review being conducted by the building official and town planner.
