The governor observed that almost everyone in Rhode Island, which has 1 million residents, seems to have been affected in one way or another. The depth of that pain is shared by our entire state, our neighboring states, our whole nation and, indeed, much of the world.”Ĭalling the disaster “a terrible tragedy has touched so many lives,” Carcieri said that “we will be forever changed.” “This is a deeply sorrowful time,” Carcieri said at the service. The somber ceremony of remembrance included prayers by Jewish, Muslim and Christian clerics. Several family members clutched red roses left over from bouquets they received Sunday while visiting the site of the fire. Another fainted as she entered the church. One fire survivor attended the service with his head wrapped in bandages. “Let us know for a moment the ones you loved,” Holt said. When family members held the photographs up at the request of the Rev. Many carried photographs of smiling men and women in their 20s and 30s. “Certainly in my estimation, both Michael Derderian and Jeffrey could answer questions that we are all here looking for.”įor an hour early Monday evening, the mounting anger and frustration were set aside in the first large memorial service for fire victims.īundled in heavy parkas, most wearing black - though in one case, a hooded orange sweatshirt - 200 relatives of the victims filled one-third of the pews at St. “The people of the state have been ripped apart,” Lynch said. The brothers issued a statement over the weekend but neither has spoken with authorities. His older brother Michael was out of state but returned after the tragedy. Jeffrey Derderian was a well-known television reporter in Boston who joined the staff of a Providence station 10 days before the fire. Lynch pointed out that Jeffrey Derderian spoke with reporters outside the club while the fire was raging inside. Patrick Lynch urged the Derderian brothers to cooperate with investigators. The band members hastily returned to Los Angeles - but without guitarist Ty Longley, who perished in the fire.Īt Monday’s news conference, Rhode Island Atty. Century City attorney Edwin McPherson, who represents Great White, also was unavailable Monday. The Derderians’ attorney, Kathleen Hagerty, did not return a telephone call. Fire Chief Charles Hall has declined to comment on whether the insulation material was checked.Ĭlub owners Michael and Jeffrey Derderian have traded accusations with Great White over who was responsible for the fatal fireworks display. The nightclub - housed in a one-story building formerly occupied by a series of restaurants - passed a fire inspection Dec. Carcieri said that while the identification process was proceeding quickly, he cautioned some families could face a longer vigil as medical examiners sought to match dental records, fingerprints and other data with badly burned bodies.Īs flowers, stuffed animals, poems and pictures piled up in front of a chain-link fence outside the flattened ruins of The Station, state, federal and local authorities continued to look into Rhode Island’s deadliest fire.
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