Latvian president describes store collapse as ‘murder’

Death toll confirmed at 52 so far as three days of mourning declared

Latvian prime minster arrives as cranes lift objects from the wreckage of the Maxima store amid continuing rescue efforts in a suburb of Soviet-era housing in the capital

Rescuers have resumed a search for 10 people following the collapse of a supermarket roof in Riga, the Latvian capital.

Fifty-two deaths have been confirmed in the disaster and a police spokesman said some 10 families have reported they have missing relatives.

The nation’s president has meanwhile described the disaster as “murder”.

President Andris Berzins said: "This is a case where we need to say clearly that an enormous number of defenceless people were killed, and that's how we should proceed."

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Some 40 people were wounded, including 13 firefighters, and 23 people remained in hospital this afternoon, police said.

It was the worst such incident in the Baltic country since it regained independence in 1991. The government has declared three days of mourning.

Laila Rieksta-Riekstina, head of the state's child welfare department, told Latvia Radio that 16 children had lost parents in the incident. Three of them lost both parents.

Rescue service spokeswoman Viktorija Sembele said some 300 sq m of ruins - approximately one-sixth of the total damaged area - remained to be searched as of this morning.

Ms Sembele said there was a chance more victims could be found in that area, which is particularly dangerous due to the risk of further collapse. Firefighters are working in decreased numbers in that area to minimise the chance of injury.

Rescue workers decided to stop the operation early today and consult with engineers before continuing, she said.

Before the collapse, workers had been building a garden area and children’s playground on top of the building.

Reports suggests that a large amount of building materials, including bags of soil for the garden, were left in areas of the roof that, according to Riga city officials, may have been vulnerable to heavy loads.

Police have launched an investigation into the incident which could take several weeks to complete.

Press Association