Rhode Island Town Wants Help Paying Nightclub Fire Agreement

The Rhode Island town where a nightclub fire killed 100 people in 2003 says it needs help from the state to pay a $10 million settlement to survivors of the blaze and relatives of those who died.

West Warwick plans to ask the state to cover $6.5 million of the settlement, which was reached in August with the roughly 300 people who sued.

Town Solicitor Timothy Williamson, who serves in the General Assembly, told The Providence Journal he would seek to have the money included in the next state budget. The state also has agreed to a $10 million settlement.

The money is a small portion of the $176 million settlement reached with dozens of defendants sued over the Feb. 20, 2003, fire at The Station nightclub.

The fire began when pyrotechnics set ablaze soundproofing foam around the stage.

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Information from: The Providence Journal