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| Latvia mourns victims of Riga supermarket collapse | Latvia mourns victims of Riga supermarket collapse |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Latvians have begun three days of national mourning for 52 people who died when a supermarket in the capital Riga collapsed on Thursday. | Latvians have begun three days of national mourning for 52 people who died when a supermarket in the capital Riga collapsed on Thursday. |
| Mourners have gathered at the site of the collapse, along with residents hoping for news of missing relatives. | Mourners have gathered at the site of the collapse, along with residents hoping for news of missing relatives. |
| Rescuers spent a second night scouring the debris but found no more survivors. | Rescuers spent a second night scouring the debris but found no more survivors. |
| Officials say soil from a garden being built on the roof of the shop may have caused the collapse, the deadliest disaster in Latvia's modern history. | Officials say soil from a garden being built on the roof of the shop may have caused the collapse, the deadliest disaster in Latvia's modern history. |
| Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis said the collapse had shattered Latvia, and announced three days of mourning starting on Saturday. | Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis said the collapse had shattered Latvia, and announced three days of mourning starting on Saturday. |
| In our thoughts we are together with all those stricken by this tragedy," he said. | In our thoughts we are together with all those stricken by this tragedy," he said. |
| "No matter what the cause of the tragedy is, the number of victims is too big." | "No matter what the cause of the tragedy is, the number of victims is too big." |
| Many people went to the scene to lay flowers and light candles in commemoration of the dead, the BBC's Damien McGuinness in Riga reports. | Many people went to the scene to lay flowers and light candles in commemoration of the dead, the BBC's Damien McGuinness in Riga reports. |
| Rescue teams have been working round the clock at the Maxima supermarket, digging in the wreckage of the single-storey concrete and glass building to see if anyone is still trapped inside. | Rescue teams have been working round the clock at the Maxima supermarket, digging in the wreckage of the single-storey concrete and glass building to see if anyone is still trapped inside. |
| They have been periodically turning off all their equipment and asking the families of missing people to phone their relatives so they can pinpoint the ring tones in the debris. | They have been periodically turning off all their equipment and asking the families of missing people to phone their relatives so they can pinpoint the ring tones in the debris. |
| The initial collapse happened just before 18:00 (16:00 GMT) on Thursday, when the Maxima store was busy with customers. | The initial collapse happened just before 18:00 (16:00 GMT) on Thursday, when the Maxima store was busy with customers. |
| About 20 minutes later another part of the roof caved in, trapping rescue workers who were trying to reach survivors. | About 20 minutes later another part of the roof caved in, trapping rescue workers who were trying to reach survivors. |
| Witnesses said customers tried to run out after the first part of the roof collapsed but the supermarket's electronic doors closed, trapping them inside. | Witnesses said customers tried to run out after the first part of the roof collapsed but the supermarket's electronic doors closed, trapping them inside. |
| Local media said the building, rented by the Maxima chain, had been awarded a national architecture prize when it was completed in 2011. | Local media said the building, rented by the Maxima chain, had been awarded a national architecture prize when it was completed in 2011. |
| But a criminal inquiry will now investigate whether building regulations were broken. | But a criminal inquiry will now investigate whether building regulations were broken. |