More news on the RI fire...UPDATE 95 dead

[MaryAnnDVC]

From Newsday.com:

The owner of a well-known New Jersey club said Friday that Great White failed to tell him they would use pyrotechnics for a concert there a week ago.

"Our stage manager didn't even know it until it was done,” said Domenic Santana, owner of the Stone Pony in Asbury Park. "My sound man freaked out because of the heat and everything, and they jeopardized the health and the safety of our patrons.”

Actually, Domenic Santana is being interviewed on the news now...he said they don't allow pyrotechnics at all at his nightclub because of the low ceiling; he didn't throw the band out after it happened because he didn't want to cause a riot in the crowd, but he was very angry last week that the band pulled that, particularly now in light of what happened last night.

 

[kdibattista]

So sad

 

[Dan Murphy]

I just heard the death toll has reached 75.

 

[WillyJ]

I heard the interview too, Mare. .


Domenic Santana also was asked if he has a sprinkler system in the Stone Pony and he said; "yes, for over 29 years now. . ."


It is also being reported though that the RI night club had just passed a safety inspection; was not filled over the legal capacity of 300; and that based on the sq. footage of the club, they were too small to be required to have a sprinkler system. .


I would hope that law is changed after this tragedy. .

 

[Poohbear123]

Death toll up to 85.....firefighters STILL finding Bodies.....21 Injured and in hospital....

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

Poohbear, there's way more than 21 injured...165 were injured, distributed among several hospitals, including airlifted to Boston. Some were released, but many more still hospitalized. Everyone taken to the hospitals at this point are still alive.

 

[pumba]

on what happened Tuesday night here in Maines concert......scarey thought .....there was no license for any fireworks at all ......they have not commented on whether or not fireworks were used....will have to wait for the six o clock news here

 

[December99]

I have not been keeping up on the first post that Mare posted this morning...does anyone know if the band member that was reported missing this morning has been found? They were slated to do a gig in Madison or Milwaukee next week - that was reported on our area news this morning.

Very interesting about the pyrotechnics - I have even been scared when they do them in large indoor stadiums...I was shocked to see that on the news coverage this morning....very scary indeed!

 

[Kermit]

That is so sad. Indoor fireworks are a bad idea in any circumstance, even if they are small ones.

 

[WillyJ]

The death toll is up to 86 confirmed dead, along with 187 injured. . .


The lead guitar player for the band is still missing. . .

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

Originally posted by December99
does anyone know if the band member that was reported missing this morning has been found?

He is still unaccounted for.

81 people admitted to the hospital, 10 of them sent to Boston; 71 remaining in RI.

OUTDOOR fireworks even make me nervous. I always worry about sparks igniting something, or something shooting off and exploding too low.

It's just shocking to see the footage on CNN of it all happening.

 

[Tina]

Hmmm... sounds like there are some conflicting reports out there. I was listening to the Boneyard (XM radio) on the way home today. They reported that Jack Russell (lead singer) has stated that both the band and the club had permits for the pyro. This is just so tragic.

 

[wvjules]

I heard that the club told the band that they had permits for pyrotechnics.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

Originally posted by wvjules
I heard that the club told the band that they had permits for pyrotechnics.

That's what the band claims.

 

[wvjules]

I don't understand how the club's stage hand claims he didn't know they were going to do pyrotechnics. Wouldn't he have to set up for it? I don't think they put them in bottles like bottle rockets.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

Well...I have thought the same thing. But there's a news conference on CNN with the owner and managers from the Stone Pony and they had no idea that there were going to be pyrotechnics either. Just don't know, but I get the impression from the video that they weren't heavy duty complicated ones...more the type of thing that get shot off, like someone might do (illegally) in the back yard on 4th of July. But I don't know...

 

[Patrick IL.]

Originally posted by WillyJ



It is also being reported though that the RI night club had just passed a safety inspection; was not filled over the legal capacity of 300; and that based on the sq. footage of the club, they were too small to be required to have a sprinkler system. .

Omg That means they lost close to one out of every three people there...I keep thinking of that as I watch the footage taken inside

 

[ChefBilly]

A friend from work - Mike - was there with his brother last night. We spent all morning trying to track him down, going from hospital to hospital. We eventually learned both he and his brother were pulled out. I spoke to their mother later in the morning, and they both suffered burns to their faces.
It was surreal because he had been talking about it all week, and I had been ribbing him and telling him not to go because Great White was a "C" list band. Then when I heard the news... Very shocking. This has been quite a depressing day.

 

[Tina]

I don't know how many of you are "Sludge-a-holics" here on the DIS, but Metal Sludge just posted a first-hand account by someone who was at the concert last night. Read his story here: http://www.metal-sludge.com/GWGeorgeEmail.htm

Its just so sad. I can't imagine how this guy is coping with this.

DISCLAIMER: Just thought I should add that the Metal Sludge website does sometimes include nudity and profane language. Please be careful of your children if you choose to view other pages on this site.

 

[paras4ri]

The club is in the next town from me, and literally down the street from my office. Many co-workers spent time there and some have friends who may have been there last night. The air has been buzzing with helicopters and this morning it was possible to smell and even see smoke.

There are still many conflicting stories about the fireworks and any prior approval or awarness from the club management but it's clear that irresponsible actions led to this tragedy.

My heart is broken for those lost and those injured, as well as their families and friends.