Riga, Latvia |
From AP:
As Latvian rescue workers searched Friday for bodies in the rubble of a supermarket collapse that killed dozens, speculation about the cause focused on a garden and a playground being installed on the grass- and gravel-covered roof.This is the deadliest tragedy in the Baltic nation since it regained its Independence in 1991. The Latvian president has declared a three-day mourning period, which begins tomorrow.
The death toll from the Thursday evening rush-hour roof collapse at the Maxima supermarket in Latvia's capital had risen to at least 51, including three firefighters, police said.
Police opened a criminal investigation into the cause of the tragedy at the award-winning building - once vaunted as a place where high-rise residents could step out of their homes, stroll along a shady garden and pick up a couple of items for dinner.
Riga Mayor Nils Usakovs told reporters that large bags of construction materials and soil were left on a weak spot on the roof and could have caused the collapse. It had rained for days, leading to speculation that the soil had become soaked and weighed down.
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