PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) -- Survivors of a nightclub fire and relatives of the 100 people who were killed spoke emotionally during a hearing Thursday about their pain and the need for tougher fire safety laws.
A state commission investigating the Feb. 20 fire at The Station has been looking into possible causes of the blaze and whether the state's fire safety codes need to be strengthened. The panel's last scheduled hearing was devoted to those directly affected by the blaze.
William C. Bonardi said he and his wife were devastated and angered by their son's death.
``This could have been prevented,'' he said, voice quivering. ``What price do we place on safety? Installation of sprinkler systems is an absolute must.''
The building that housed The Station was built in the 1940s and had no sprinklers. The panel will recommend whether to curtail or eliminate exemptions to sprinkler requirements for many older buildings.
Eileen DiBonaventura, who lost her 18-year-old son, Albert, cited the highly flammable material in the club and the unlicensed use of pyrotechnics that night. Investigators believe a band's fireworks sparked the fast-moving blaze.
``A disgusting lack of public safety cost my son his life,'' she said. ``Rhode Island is being watched to see how this is addressed.''
Elizabeth Arruda, of Westport, Mass., survived the fire but suffered burns over one quarter of her body.
``I was in the hospital a month and had three surgeries,'' she said tearfully. ``The need for sprinklers shouldn't even be a question.''
The panel, which includes nurses, firefighters, businessmen and state officials, is to issue a report to lawmakers within two weeks. Members have said the commission won't finish all its work by the deadline.
