Vigil held at Portsmouth Portuguese American Club after deadly stairway collapse

PORTSMOUTH, R.I. (WLNE) — Family and friends gathered to grieve the loss of a 15-year-old girl Monday night at the Portsmouth Portuguese American Club.

Officials said the Portsmouth student was killed there Saturday night, when the landing she was on detached from the building and collapsed, pinning her underneath.

A 17-year-old girl was trapped as well and remains in critical condition.

Both girls were from Portsmouth, with those on Aquidneck Island saying it’s one of the worst tragedies there in years.

David Boscia, the chief clinical officer at Newport Mental Health, said the state immediately called in his team to help.

“I think the whole community is in shock,” Boscia said. “We’re just here to support the community, provide any resources they need, and just be there for them.”

Officials said there were five people in total on the landing when it went down during a graduation party.

A 19-year-old woman from Little Compton was taken to the hospital and later released, while a 49-year-old woman from Indiana remains hospitalized with serious injuries.

A 46-year-old Portsmouth man also fell but wasn’t badly hurt.

Many community members gathered at the site around 5:30 p.m. Monday, as a memorial of flowers continued to grow.

Boscia said Newport Mental Health has been offering counseling services through the Portsmouth School District.

“Please don’t hesitate to call,” he said. “Even if you’re not sure if you need help, it’s good to call and we can talk with you and provide you just a listening ear…or you come in to see us, we can help you with that as well.”

The Portsmouth Police Department said they are investigating the incident to determine if any criminal factors were involved.

That investigation will be separate from a review being conducted by the building official and town planner.

For Emergency Services – call 988 or (401) 846-1213 option 1 for Newport Mental Health