Latvia in mourning after supermarket collapse

(Vatican Radio) Officials say at least 51 people are now known to have died in the collapse of a supermarket roof late on Thursday in the Latvian capital, Riga. The Prime Minister has announced three days of mourning amid a police investigation into the worst disaster to hit the small Baltic nation in decades.

Rescue workers continue to search for survivors beneath the rubble of what was the famed Maxima supermarket. Yet for dozens of shoppers help came too late – they died in the collapse of the supermarket's roof. Several fire fighters who were involved in the rescue effort also died when they were caught up in a secondary collapse, while dozens of people are injured.

Debris and shattered glass has piled outside the metal and glass building. For those still awaiting news of their loved once, the search and rescue operation is a nerve wracking experience. "My wife is in there," an anxious man said. "There is no information about her, whether she is dead or alive. Wherever I call, there is no information.”

Rescue workers say an unknown number of people still lie buried beneath the debris. They have been searching for them through the wreckage with dogs, but found very few signs of life. The supermarket was packed with end-of-day shoppers when it collapsed and many of the victims were locals.

Investigators say the supermarket became a death trap when workers began installing a children’s playground on the roof. Riga Mayor Nils Usakovs said in a statement that large bags of construction materials and soil were left on a weak spot on the roof and could have caused the collapse.

Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis has visited the scene, announcing a criminal investigation. "The police has started an investigation into possible construction violations, which may have caused serious consequences,” he said. However, local officials have also blamed government budget cuts for a lack of construction controls.

The supermarket was once viewed 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. Thursday's roof collapse has now been described as the largest tragedy for the small Baltic state since it regained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Latvia's government has declared three days of mourning starting Saturday.

Listen to Stefan Bos' report: