Latvia supermarket roof collapse leaves at least twelve dead, many trapped
- 9 years ago
At least twelve people, including two firefighters, were killed and dozens more are feared trapped after a supermarket roof collapsed in Latvia's capital, Riga, on Thursday.
The store was packed with people doing shopping after work when the collapse occurred at around 6pm local time.
Footage showed fire trucks and ambulances surrounding the Maxima store as onlookers watched rescue workers move rubble from inside the single-storey concrete and glass building.
"There are six people dead, four of them are shop clients and two are firefighters," Latvian rescue service spokeswoman Viktorija Sembele told Reuters. "Thirty-five people have been injured."
Reuters reports that "it was unclear how many people remained trapped in the store. Earlier news agency RIA Novosti quoted Riga Mayor Nils Usakovs as saying 70 people were trapped in the building.
"Latvian TV said three cranes were working to remove concrete blocks from the roof so firemen could get to those inside, but that rescue services feared another collapse.
"Latvia's Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis told Latvian TV it was clear the rescue work would go on for many hours.
"The country's police will launch an investigation into the disaster.
"Local media said workers had been building a roof garden on the store.
"Rescue workers were called to the store, situated in the midst of grey, Soviet-era housing in a suburb of the capital, and several were injured when they were caught by a second cave-in of the weakened structure.
"More than 60 soldiers were helping with the rescue effort, the country's army said on its official Twitter feed.
"Police sniffer dogs were searching for people still trapped.
"At least two people had been pulled alive from the ruins.
"Local media reported that the Maxima supermarket, estimated at around 500 square meters (5,380 square feet) in size, had been awarded an architecture prize when it was completed in 2011."
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TomoNe
The store was packed with people doing shopping after work when the collapse occurred at around 6pm local time.
Footage showed fire trucks and ambulances surrounding the Maxima store as onlookers watched rescue workers move rubble from inside the single-storey concrete and glass building.
"There are six people dead, four of them are shop clients and two are firefighters," Latvian rescue service spokeswoman Viktorija Sembele told Reuters. "Thirty-five people have been injured."
Reuters reports that "it was unclear how many people remained trapped in the store. Earlier news agency RIA Novosti quoted Riga Mayor Nils Usakovs as saying 70 people were trapped in the building.
"Latvian TV said three cranes were working to remove concrete blocks from the roof so firemen could get to those inside, but that rescue services feared another collapse.
"Latvia's Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis told Latvian TV it was clear the rescue work would go on for many hours.
"The country's police will launch an investigation into the disaster.
"Local media said workers had been building a roof garden on the store.
"Rescue workers were called to the store, situated in the midst of grey, Soviet-era housing in a suburb of the capital, and several were injured when they were caught by a second cave-in of the weakened structure.
"More than 60 soldiers were helping with the rescue effort, the country's army said on its official Twitter feed.
"Police sniffer dogs were searching for people still trapped.
"At least two people had been pulled alive from the ruins.
"Local media reported that the Maxima supermarket, estimated at around 500 square meters (5,380 square feet) in size, had been awarded an architecture prize when it was completed in 2011."
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TomoNe