The exterior of supermarket Maxima in Riga, Latvia, after the roof collapes on Nov. 21, 2013.
Updated: 1:56 P.M. November 22, 2013
An enormous section of a supermarket roof collapsed on Thursday in Latvia, leaving dozens dead, including three firefighters.
At least 50 people died when the roof of a Maxima grocery store in the capital, Riga, fell in during a busy shopping hour, the Associated Press reports. Three of those who were killed were firefighters when another section of roof collapsed as they tried to rescue people who were trapped inside. Thirty-five people were injured, 28 of whom were hospitalized. It’s not clear how many people were still trapped in the rubble by Friday.
The BBC reports that the death toll is the highest in the country since its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Police are not sure what caused the collapse, but officials told the AP that theories include poor construction and design flaws.
[AP]