The death toll from the roof collapse of a supermarket in Riga, capital of Latvia rose to 51 on Saturday. The accident occurred on Thursday.
The number of dead is expected to rise further as some people are still feared trapped under the rubble.
38 others have been injured in the mishap. This is the deadliest disaster since Latvia became independent in 1991.
The supermarket, built in 2011, belongs to the Lithuanian-owned Maxima chain, the second largest retailer in the country.
Rescue work is proceeding slowly as both the rubble and remaining sections of roof are at risk of further collapse.
The reason for the collapse is currently unknown, but reports said a garden with trees and plants was being built on the store's sizeable roof, which might have violated construction regulations and triggered the collapse.
Rescue officials are unsure about the number of survivors under the rubble but expect that the death toll will rise.
The government has announced three days of mourning from Saturday.
(with inputs from IANS)
|
|
Comments:
