LATVIA: Mourners light candles near the ruins of a collapsed supermarket in the Latvian capital, as the death toll rises to at least 47 in the Baltic state's worst disaster in decades

Record ID: 216411

  • Title: LATVIA: Mourners light candles near the ruins of a collapsed supermarket in the Latvian capital, as the death toll rises to at least 47 in the Baltic state's worst disaster in decades
  • Date: 22nd November 2013
  • Summary: RIGA, LATVIA (NOVEMBER 22, 2013) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF EMERGENCY WORKERS AT SITE RESCUE WORKERS LOOKING THROUGH DEBRIS VARIOUS OF REMAINS OF BUILDING VARIOUS OF EMERGENCY WORKERS AT SCENE CANDLES ON GROUND IN FRONT OF PILES OF DEBRIS ONLOOKERS WATCHING PEOPLE STANDING BEHIND BARRIERS, CANDLES AND FLOWERS ON GROUND WOMAN CRYING VARIOUS OF PEOPLE LIGHTING CANDLES CANDLES AN
  • Embargoed: 7th December 2013 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Latvia
  • Country: Latvia
  • Topics: Disasters / Accidents / Natural catastrophes
  • Reuters ID: LVA3OY5D3UHI1LSCLGR51LJ08MCE
  • Story Text: Rescue workers pulled bodies from the ruins of a collapsed supermarket in the Latvian capital Riga on Friday (November 22) as the death toll rose to 47 in the Baltic state's worst disaster in decades.
    Cranes lifted large slabs from the wreckage of the Maxima store, in a Riga suburb of grey, Soviet-era housing, to find those trapped after the roof collapsed late on Thursday when it was full of shoppers on their way home from work.
    Rescue workers cleared away rubble from the store, which had occupied around 1,500 square metres (5,000 square feet), as ambulances and fire engines stood by.
    Police said the death toll had reached 47 as of 1500 GMT, including three rescue workers. Thirty eight more were injured.
    To help rescuers look for people in places where shoppers actually were during the collapse, police have created a map based on tapes from security cameras.
    Latvian public television said as many as 40 people could still be trapped in the rubble, based on information from the cameras, but the police could not confirm the figure.
    Rescue workers were halting work periodically to listen for survivors and for the sounds of mobile phones in the wreckage, Latvian television said.
    By nightfall, a small crowd had gathered near the ruins for news of relatives, while others brought candles and flowers.
    The cause of the collapse remains unknown but local media said workers had been building a roof garden on the supermarket, a single-storey building located about a 30- minute drive from the city centre.
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