LATVIA: Rescue efforts halted at collapsed supermarket site due to safety concerns, candles and flowers continue to be left at the site by relatives and friends of victims

Record ID: 216418

  • Title: LATVIA: Rescue efforts halted at collapsed supermarket site due to safety concerns, candles and flowers continue to be left at the site by relatives and friends of victims
  • Date: 23rd November 2013
  • Summary: RIGA, LATVIA (NOVEMBER 23, 2013) (REUTERS) RESCUE VEHICLES IN FRONT OF COLLAPSED STORE CANDLES WOMEN WRAPPED IN BLANKETS RESCUE OPERATION AT SITE RESCUERS ENTERING BUILDING MORE OF RESCUERS RESCUERS COLLAPSE SITE AT DAWN RESCUERS RUBBISH (SOUNDBITE) (Latvian) DEPUTY HEAD OF STATE RESCUE AND FIREFIGHTING SERVICE, INTARS ZITANS SAYING: "We have reached the most difficult ph
  • Embargoed: 8th December 2013 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Latvia
  • Country: Latvia
  • Topics: Disasters / Accidents / Natural catastrophes
  • Reuters ID: LVA2YK6EVOUZW3ISAAVJVW1DRGQJ
  • Story Text: Rescue operations amongst the ruins of a collapsed supermarket in the Latvian capital Riga were temporally halted on Saturday (November 23) as officials decided on the safest method to proceed.
    Some 300 square metres of the site still need to be cleared, however the construction is fragile and rescuers fear further structural collapses.

    "We have reached the most difficult phase of the rescue operation. We now have to clear the part of the building which is still covered by the roof, but the whole construction is very fragile. Therefore we have stopped rescue work for a while in order to decide how to act as it may collapse again," the Deputy Head of State Rescue And Firefighting Service, Intars Zitans, told Reuters.
    During the night rescuers found one more dead body in the debris. The number of victims has reached 52 with 22 injured people being treated in hospital.
    Relatives and friends of victims continue to visit the scene of the collapse, placing candles and flowers around the perimeter of the site.
    Several people are still waiting for information about their loved ones. It is believed there are still an unknown number of people still trapped or lying dead amongst the debris. Saturday, Sunday and Monday have been declared official days of mourning in the former Soviet Republic.
    system.scripts.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2013. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register