RIGA, Latvia, Nov. 29 (UPI) -- The collapse of a store roof in Latvia that killed 54 people was likely caused by faulty estimations of maximum loads to be borne by the roof, engineers said.
The Re&Re construction company released preliminary conclusions Friday after an analysis of design documents for the Maxima supermarket in the Zolitude neighborhood in Riga, the roof of which collapsed Nov. 21, Latvian news agency LETA reported.
The independent experts said they would release a final report after laboratory tests of the construction materials used in the building.
Police opened a criminal investigation into the accident, which caused the largest loss of life in the country since the restoration of independence in 1991, LETA said.
Latvian Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis announced Wednesday he would resign in the aftermath of the accident, saying the country needs a government that will be supported by a majority of lawmakers and also be able to resolve the issues Latvia faces.
