3rd section of Latvian market roof collapses

Associated Press

RIGA, Latvia

A massive third section of the roof at a Latvian supermarket where at least 54 people were killed fell Saturday as emergency workers searched nearby rubble for more victims. Though no one was injured, officials suspended the effort as they considered the dangers of continuing the search in the unstable building.

Latvia’s president described the disaster at the Maxima supermarket in Riga, the worst in the Baltic country since it regained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, as “murder” and called for a speedy investigation into its cause.

Investigators are looking at faulty construction or work on the roof’s grass- and gravel-covered surface as the potential cause of the initial collapse in the crowded supermarket Thursday. Workers were installing a garden area and children’s playground for an adjacent high-rise residential building.

Fire and Rescue Service spokeswoman Viktorija Sembele said the latest collapse occurred in an area where firefighters were not working, but the service immediately recalled its people from inside to ensure there were no casualties. The service tweeted minutes later that no one was injured.

The dramatic cave-in came as rescue workers were attempting to complete an operation in a particularly dangerous part of the building. The rescue service said it wants to consult with engineers before renewing the operation and that all search efforts will be put on hold until this morning.

Fifty-four deaths had been confirmed by Saturday afternoon. Police spokesman Dairis Anucins said there still were seven people missing who might have been in the store at the time of the collapse.

Associated Press video of the scene showed a large portion of the roof crashing down as rescuers worked close by. A massive boom can be heard as the section hits the ground in a cloud of dust.

The store was filled with shoppers Thursday when an enormous section of the roof caved in. Slightly over an hour later, while rescue workers searched for survivors, a second and larger section of roof caved in, killing three firefighters.