Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
LATVIAN INVESTIGATORS AND rescuers combed the ruins of a Riga supermarket for clues and bodies today after its roof crashed down on shoppers, killing at least 52.
Hope was dwindling of finding any survivors two days after the roof of the Maxima supermarket caved in and the small Baltic state began mourning the victims of its worst disaster since independence in 1991.
As horrific accounts of the tragedy emerged from some of the 40 people known to have survived, anger and suspicion mounted over the causes of Europe’s third deadliest roof collapse in 30 years.
A woman lights a candle near the collapsed shopping centre in Riga, Latvia. Pic: AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis
“I was queueing at the cash desk when the roof suddenly caved in. It all happened within a few seconds,” 19-year-old Antons Ryakhin, saying “about 100 people” had been inside with him.
It was dark but still light enough to see the exit. I ran out. The doors were open, but a lot of rubble fell in front of them — I think that’s why some people couldn’t get through.
Riga mayor Nils Usakovs said five people were feared trapped inside but it was unclear how many were still believed to be missing on Saturday.
Police investigators could be seen sifting through the rubble alongside rescuers today. The latest body was hauled from the mass of tangled steel and concrete at 6am (4am GMT).
Speculation has centred on the extra weight created by a rooftop garden and playground and on the possibility that building regulations may have been bent.
Maxima spokeswoman Olga Malaskeviciene told AFP the company had launched safety checks at its 140 other stores in Latvia and plans similar reviews in Lithuania and Estonia.
“The cause remains a mystery, but it must be discovered. Obviously if a mistake was made it was a massive one,” said Marite Straume, spokeswoman for the Re&Re firm that did the building work.
The strange thing is at the time of the collapse we were replacing the heavy rocks that had been there for two winters with much lighter materials to make the garden. The roof was actually getting lighter.
A photograph published by Latvia’s Diena daily showed an aerial view of the roof prior to the collapse, covered in soil, shrubbery, a children’s playground and construction material.
Passers by react outside the collapsed Maxima supermarket in Riga, Latvia. Pic: AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis
Part of the roof at the two-year old supermarket crashed down during peak shopping hours around 6pm on Thursday, in the Zolitude district of the Latvian capital.
A second collapse crushed to death the rescuers who had already entered the building.
Thousands of glowing candles and heaps of flowers decked the perimeter crash barriers surrounding the site, placed by a constant stream of shell-shocked residents.
Flags were being flown from houses across the country with a black sash attached as Latvia began a three-day period of national mourning.
Just days after November 18 independence celebrations, the tragedy snuffed out an upbeat mood in Latvia, with 2014 set to mark its entry into the eurozone and showcase Riga as the European capital of culture.
Child Protection Inspectorate director Laila Rieksta-Riekstina told Latvian Radio Saturday that “16 children lost one parent and one child has unfortunately lost both parents” in the tragedy.
A view of collapsed Maxima supermarket in Riga, Latvia. Pic: AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis
The state fire and rescue service website paid tribute to the three firefighters who died, describing them as “more like family members than colleagues”.
Books of condolence have been opened at Latvian embassies abroad including Britain, Canada, Ireland, Poland, Russia, Poland and the USA while world leaders have also expressed sympathy.
The central government, Riga city council and the Maxima retailer have promised compensation to victims and charities are also raising cash.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
I don’t have access to a medical card either…just saying
@John Horan: that article is absolutely misleading anyone in the direct care of the Government has access to free medical care this applies to people in prison ,juvenile homes or direct provision . The fact that they don’t hold a physical card does not deprive them of any service.
@DavidOReilly: Insult to injury……. criminals get free healthcare whilst the workers pay for it for them and also have to pay for themselves
@DavidOReilly: people in the care of the state have a physical medical card. They cannot get free health care without it. A pharmacy will not issue medicine for free if you don’t have a card. The article is referring to the lack of services and support workers. They are put in a B&B and no body is there to tell them to process or what to do next. Blame the system not the people.
@John Horan: what about the overcrowded Hopitals wards not enough staff and beds because this country is bringing in people without being prepared
@Bee Johnson: give us a break most of these people come here and transit trough another country .they have educated themselves on what’s available here. The article makes it look like we’re leaving them to suffer with us misleading. Citizens advice would quickly put them on the right track. https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/moving_country/asylum_seekers_and_refugees/services_for_asylum_seekers_in_ireland/medical_services_and_entitlements_for_asylum_seekers.html
@John Horan: No they don’t! Your taxes pay for them.
@John Horan: yes John but we the tax payer are entitled to 1 dental check and an eye test wahay ! Prsi paid and yet we still fork out for medical care
@DavidOReilly: and meat from FX buckley,
How many of the 500 have had their applications rejected? How long can they stay her while they appeal the decision?
@John Walsh: Info from asylumineurope org. The rejection rate of asylum seekers in Ireland: Albania 99%, Georgia 97%, Zimbabwe 82%, Nigeria 94.4%, Syria 1.75%. In 2018 there were 3673 applications for asylum in Ireland, total rejection rate is 70.3%.
The most countries asylum seekers coming from: Albania 459, Georgia 450, Syria 333, Zimbabwe 282, Nigeria 251. Gender breakdown: Men 1902 or 51.8%. Women 914 or 24.9%, Children 840 or 22.8%. But yeah I agree “facts are racist”…
There are Irish people in tents in our cities FFS
yet another d.p. story on the journal — are you being sponsored by R.I.A. these days ? these people have a roof over their heads ,food in their bellies and somewhere to sleep – far more than the thousands of homeless people of this country have ! yet all we hear is “we want this – we want that ” be bloody grateful for what you have and the fact that this country is giving you the chance to be here . if you dont like the system then leave – after all most of those ‘asylum seekers’ must have passed through other EU countries to get to ireland -so why didnt they apply for asylum there ? and a little idea for our government to think about – if our dp centres are full to bursting as this article suggests – THEN STOP LETTING ANYMORE IN TO THE COUNTRY UNTIL YOU HAVE PROCESSED THOSE ALREADY HERE !!
Do these people seeking asylum get screened health wise before being placed in the general population via hotels & B&Bs?
@icaniwont: Yes, they are screened. The HSE’s operates a Mobile Health and Screening Unit and the Safetynet Primary Care team that serves homeless and newly arrived asylum seekers and run health screening…
“Safetynet’s Mobile Health and Screening Unit (MHSU) is a new service provided by Safetynet in partnership with HSE Social Inclusion. The MHSU will provide health services and screening services initially to vulnerable migrants and later other vulnerable groups. The MHSU aims to complement current health services, identify and treat health problems and reduce threats from communicable diseases. It aims to facilitate integration of specific population groups including asylum seekers to mainstream services. This will be a national service delivered throughout Ireland by means of a vehicle specifically designed and equipped with XRay and consultation room.
Most recently the service integrated the health care needs of 214 Syrian refugees into Ballaghadereen in County Roscommon.”
@David Jordan: Is screening voluntary or mandatory?
@Josh Hanners: It’s voluntary, in 2017, 1,544 out of 1,955 asylum seekers invited to heath screenings by the HSE attended appointments, 79%.
There is also no evidence that mandatory health checks are beneficial. Instead, the World Health Organisation recommends voluntary general health checks, improved sanitation and vaccination programmes.
“The World Health Organization (WHO) does not recommend compulsory mass screening of the asylum seeker population for infectious diseases because there is no clear evidence proving the effectiveness of screening. Instead, the WHO and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) advise European countries to provide general health checks and improve sanitation and vaccination programmes to prevent outbreaks of infections like measles and influenza.”
References:
Beeres et al., 2018. Screening for infectious diseases of asylum seekers upon arrival: the necessity of the moral principle of reciprocity. BMC medical ethics, 19(1), p.16. https://bmcmedethics.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12910-018-0256-7
500 and the rest
It’s Sunday and right on cue…
@Alternative for Ireland:
Yes the journal needs an excuse to the the neanderthals riled up
@Patrick Nolan: If you are white, you are part Neanderthal, so suck that up.
Emergency accommodation: OVER 10,000 IRISH PEOPLE NOW LIVING IN B AND B`s ACROSS IRELAND.
There – that looks better
@Pixie McMullen: *HOTELS AND B And B`S
There is international monetary support for asylum seekers, where has this money been spent?
Plenty underused religious buildings / convents, buy some of those and put them to use.
@Caroline Otoole: Why? Since when has the whole world become our problem?
Thai does not make sense, Europe are making Ireland government take in asylum seekers but Ireland can not accommodate properly.
@Mickomacko: for your sake I hope the National Party doesn’t demand that everyone ‘speak proper English’ as is the case with alt-right wingers in the UK and US.
Deport them all. Problem solved. No more issues with accommodation
At what cost and 10 Thousand plus Irish homeless.. EU and FFG are no good …
Thai does not make sense, Europe are making Ireland government take in asylum seekers but Ireland can not accommodate properly. The National Party will sort out this country
@Mickomacko:
The national party? How many votes did they get last time out?
yet air BnB is seen as the problem then Joe public tries to make a little extra income. All these problems are then told its our fault.
Don’t want migrants here cos more crimes
@Brian Flavin:
Surprising someone with such a poor command of English complaining about foreigners?
In other news…..
Absolutely unacceptable that asylum seekers should have to live in these conditions. They should at least be put on top of the housing list when they get their asylum status as they have suffered enough without having to wait years to get a home.
@Humphrey Harold Haddington: so do a lot of honest workers that also pay taxes…
@Dominic Leleu: we need to look after the most vulnerable in society first.
@Humphrey Harold Haddington: Hope you have a pleasant fishing expedition.
I see you have caught a few already.
@Diogenes O’Mahoney: could you explain more? Why do you think i may be going to fish today?
@Humphrey Harold Haddington: You’re clearly fishing those unaware of your amateur and time consuming trolling. You’d be better off being a paid troll for the Russians or the EU.
@Windom Earle: So we now live in a society where if a person has sympathy for the less well off and vulnerable in society they are a a troll..
But if i was to write up hateful, tasteless and racist comments i will receive green thumbs and fanfare cheers.
@Humphrey Harold Haddington: You’re either a troll or you’re intellectually challenged.
@Humphrey Harold Haddington: You’re either a troll or you’re intellectually challenged.
@Diogenes O’Mahoney: curious when they got they they are gone fishing..
@Humphrey Harold Haddington: Dont feed Humphrey he has no friends and just want attention.
Luxury tents…large ones that can accomodate whole families…and given services and amenities. This would be cheaper to provide.. it could be the solution to the problem. That’s my tuppence..
Maybe the shinners & lefties should hang a flag over civic buildings in Dublin. That might help
Deport now
Not one to dismiss the dire importance of the situation at hand, but over 10,000 other people are trying to find accommodation at the moment.
If I was to point a finger, it would be towards the FF/FG landlords in governance that the well-heeled population of Ireland consistently re-elect back into power for 71 years running.
Something needs to change. I’m only sad that it will not happen in my lifetime.
@EillieEs: Take a look at Sweden. Germany new years night when a thousand women raped.Give at another two yrs and the ghettos and no go area’s start popping up everywhere.
I believe the campaign focus should be on housing policy change … not hate for refugees.
Plenty of places for everyone to live in if the vast empty property came on the market, and a better working economy if these new people could set up their skills.
Thankfully, another DP story. I was beginning to suffer withdrawl!
Some of the comments here are disgusting. Who’d have thought that Ireland, a country of emigrants, would be so unwelcoming to people who have fled unimaginable hardship.
@EillieEs: How many received handouts when they went abroad? How many demanded that their host population change to suit them? How many moaned about discrimination? You and your ilk hate your own people.
Where not alot of the Eastern European countries not sending ex prisoners over here, I mean actually giving them money to come here?.
have your say