Forensics show nightclub death toll down to 96
Posted: Thu Feb 27, 2003 10:06 pm
WEST WARWICK, Rhode Island (CNN) -- The death toll in last week's Rhode Island nightclub fire has been reduced by one to 96, Gov. Don Carcieri said Thursday afternoon.
Carcieri said forensic scientists have identified all the remains and are satisfied with the current death toll.
Garrett
Carcieri said forensic scientists have identified all the remains and are satisfied with the current death toll.
"There was one missing person report but we do not believe that report is a person who was the victim of the fire," the governor said.
But while reducing the death toll, he issued a grim reminder:
"We are not out of the woods in terms of fatalities by a long shot. We have many, many very ill people in hospitals," Carcieri said. In addition to the fatalities, more than 180 people were injured in last week's nightclub fire and more than 30 of them remain in critical condition, suffering from serious burns.
Carcieri and Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, visited some of those hospitalized victims Thursday.
Residents of West Warwick were still dazed Thursday, a week after heavy metal band Great White's pyrotechnics ignited a fast-moving fire that engulfed The Station nightclub in less than five minutes.
Funerals began Wednesday for the victims of the February 20 fire and continued Thursday.
Garrett