(22 Nov 2013) Rescue work continued at the site of the collapsed Maxima supermarket as night fell on Friday in the Latvian capital, Riga.
The roof of the building collapsed on Thursday evening, killing at least 47, including three firefighters, police said.
Bystanders gathered at the scene and looked on sombrely from behind a police barrier, where many had laid flowers and candles for the victims.
The tragedy occurred on Thursday evening as crowds of shoppers were picking up food after work and an enormous section of the supermarket's roof caved in.
Firefighters rushed in to save them, only to be crushed themselves when a second part of the roof collapsed.
The death toll rose to 47 on Friday, and police spokesman Toms Sadovskisk said the death toll was expected to go even higher, and that six of the dead were still unidentified.
Another 35 people were injured, 28 of them in hospital, including 10 firefighters struck just as they entered the unstable building, the Fire and Rescue Service said.
It was the largest tragedy for the Baltic state since it regained independence in 1991. Latvia's government declared three days of mourning starting on Saturday.
The rescue agency could not say how many people might be trapped under the rubble in the densely populated, working-class neighbourhood between downtown Riga and the city's airport.
The reason for the collapse was still not known, but rescue and police officials said workers had been building a garden on the roof as part of the supermarket's original design.
Riga Mayor Nils Usakovs told reporters that large bags of earth and sand on a weak spot on the roof could have caused the collapse.
An enormous crater-like hole gaped in the supermarket's roof, while building materials were still stacked on the remaining sections.
The building was completed in November 2011. The Lithuania-owned Maxima was reportedly renting the space.
Maxima officials refused to comment, saying they would release a statement later.
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