Inspector probes ceiling collapse

PAWTUCKET, R.I. (WPRI) - Pawtucket's building inspector is looking into what may have caused Tuesday night's ceiling collapse at a local church.

There was a meeting going on in the basement of Park Place Congregational Church when pieces of the ceiling came crashing down, injuring six people. None of the injuries were life-threatening.

John Hanley, the city's building inspector, arrived on scene shortly after the accident to investigate.

He said he was surprised the ceiling came down like it did, since there were no signs of water damage and there were no outside forces, like a dance floor.

"It appears that it was the age of the ceiling," Hanley said. "It went unnoticed because there was a ceiling installed underneath it."

The building is 70- to 80-years-old.

Hanley said his office didn't previously inspect the church.

"We would only inspect if new work was done or someone called us and told us they had concerns. We don't routinely go into existing buildings and perform inspections," Hanley said. "It's an unfortunate incident but it doesn't mean that the building isn't safe."