We believe it’s important to avoid speculation and instead focus on gathering the facts to ensure public safety.”

Town Administrator Richard Rainer, Jr.

PORTSMOUTH — In addition to the Police Department’s criminal investigation into Saturday night’s partial building collapse at the Portsmouth Portuguese-American Citizens Club that led to the death of a teenage girl, the town is also looking into the building’s construction and permitting history.

“The town is approaching this on two fronts,” Town Administrator Richard Rainer, Jr. told members of the Town Council during Monday night’s meeting. “First, we’re fully supporting the Portsmouth Police Department’s investigation into the incident. Second, our planning department and relevant staff have been mobilized to assemble and review all available town records related to the property, including any past permits, inspections, or construction activity.”

Rainer said while there’s no way to know at this time how extensive the documentation will be, especially given the age of the building, “we will compile what we can and make any public records available once assembled. We will provide a further update at the next Town Council meeting.”

The town is also looking into the history of the structure itself, including the construction of the exterior stair platform, he said. 

Rainer added he wanted to be clear that town officials are not presuming any fault or failure on the part of any individual or entity. 

“In cases like this, the deterioration may not be visible, and hidden structural failures can occur without warning. We believe it’s important to avoid speculation and instead focus on gathering the facts to ensure public safety,” he said. “We ask for the public’s patience and compassion as we continue to support those affected, and work to understand what has happened.”

'We're going to work through this'

An emotional Keith Hamilton, Town Council president, expressed condolences on behalf of the council to friends and family members of the deceased teenager, as well as to those who were injured in the tragedy.

“With events like this there’s no easy way to say you’re sorry, but we’re going to work through this as a community, and we’re going to make sure they’re taken care of,” he said.

Hamilton also commended first responders for their efforts at the scene. 

“If they didn’t have the experience they had, it could have been much worse,” he said.