17 killed in Latvia supermarket roof collapse

Riga – At least 17 people died Friday with dozens still trapped in the debris after the roof of a supermarket collapsed in a suburb of Riga, the Latvian capital, officials said.

Three of the 17 people killed in the mishap were firefighters, media reports quoted the officials as saying.

Andris Ameriks, deputy mayor of Riga said that some 50 people were still trapped after the accident happened Thursday, reports Xinhua.

Ilze Buksa, a spokeswoman for Latvia’s emergency medical service, said 22 people were being treated in hospitals with various injuries, some of them are in serious condition. Many injured received treatment on the site and went home.

The 500-sq.m supermarket built in 2011 belongs t! o the Lithuanian-owned Maxima chain, the second largest retailer in the country.

An investigation will be carried out to establish the cause of the collapse.

Eyewitnesses said they heard an explosion. But there were reports that a garden with trees and plants was being built on the store’s sizeable roof.