Officials suspend search for victims in Rīga supermarket roof collapse

Latvians Online | 

After a third section of the roof collapsed the evening of Nov. 23, State Fire and Rescue Service officials have suspended the search for victims that may still be buried in the rubble of a Rīga supermarket. The death toll stands at 54.

The roof of the Maxima XX supermarket at 20 Priedaines St. in the Zolitūde neighborhood of western Rīga collapsed during the late afternoon of Nov. 21, trapping dozens of shoppers and store employees. The State Fire and Rescue Service reported that the first call for assistance was received at 17:46 hours. A secondary collapse killed three firefighters as rescue workers were clearing rubble in an effort to find victims.

A spokesperson for the service announced through Twitter that the search for additional victims will be on hold until Sunday morning, Nov. 24, to allow for consultations with builders and other experts about the safety of building.

Latvian President Andris Bērziņš, speaking Nov. 23 on Latvian State Television, called the collapse “mass murder” and said that ultimately the country’s political system is to blame.

About two dozen victims are being treated in hospitals. Ten people who may have been in the store remain unaccounted for, according to a State Police announcement on Twitter.

Besides the three who died in the second collapse, 12 firefighters have been injured, according the Latvian Ministry of the Interior. No one was injured in the third collapse, according to the State Fire and Rescue Service.

The Cabinet of Ministers announced Nov. 22 that three days of mourning have been set from Nov. 23-25. On Monday, Nov. 25, a three-minute long moment of silence has been scheduled at 10 a.m. Latvian time.

Letters of sympathy have been received by the Latvian government from a number of countries, while several Latvian embasses and consulates have announced that they will make available books of condolences for visitors to sign.

Initial reports said two persons had died and several more were injured, but the death toll increased as more rubble was cleared. Media reports said mobile telephones could be heard ringing in the rubble as people searched for the whereabouts of loved ones.

Investigators have begun looking into the collapse. Some eyewitnesses initially reported hearing what sounded like an explosion, according to media reports, but that could have been the sound of glass or building materials shattering. One possible reason for the collapse may be tied to construction of a rooftop green area that was underway at the supermarket.

The State Fire and Rescue Service identified the dead firefighters as First Lt. Edgars Reinfelds, Capt. Vilnis Šteinītis and Cpl. Sergejs Ižiks.

The Maxima chain of markets is owned by Lithuania-based Maxima Grupė. It operates in all three Baltic republics as well as in Bulgaria.

The company’s Latvian website, maxima.lv, on Nov. 22 displayed a message of sympathy, with white letters on a black background. “A tragedy has occurred,” the message read, translated from Latvian. “This is a misfortune for all of us.” The company promised to cover medical costs for the injured and funeral costs for the dead.

The Maxima project on Priedaines Street, which includes the retail center and a nearby 12-story residential building still under construction, in 2011 was chosen among winners of the “Show of the Year” by the Latvian Association of Architects (Latvijas Arhitektu savienība). The project was designed by SIA Kubs and built by SIA Re&Re. The latter is among Latvia’s leading construction companies and includes among its projects the new National Library of Latvia.

The Latvian Ministry of the Interior announced that donations to help its employees and their families may be made to a Swedbank account held by the Trade Union of Latvian Interior Employees (Latvijas Iekšlietu darbinieku arodbiedrība). The ministry oversees the State Fire and Rescue Service. Besides the killed and injured firefighters, the ministry confirmed that an employee of the ministry’s Information Center is among the dead. Information about how to donate is found on the trade union’s website, lidarodbiedriba.lv.

Meanwhile, a donation fund for victims and their families has been set up on the Ziedot.lv portal. By the early evening of Nov. 23, more than LVL 215,000 had been donated. (For the English version of the Ziedot.lv page, click here.)

Kaut varētu Mārtiņdienu aiz ausīm noturēt!

Ilona Saverasa | 

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Pasākuma dalībnieki – ķekatnieki, ukraiņu diasporas dalībnieki un ansamblis “Atbalss”, Arhangeles rajona vijolniece un bajāniste.Foto: Jekaterina Gubina.

„Kaut varētu Mārtiņdienu aiz ausīm noturēt!”, tā teic latviešu tautas dziesma, un taisnība vien ir. Spilgti bija Mārtiņi Arhlatviešu vidusskolā, spilgta un spraiga gatavošanās tiem.

Šķiet svētki rodas tad, kad tiem gatavojamies un gaidām tos, pati Mārtiņu norises diena bija kulminācija mūsu darbam, bet vispirms jau iecerei, kas izdevās ar pirmo reizi.

Kāpēc Mārtiņi bija tik koši? Tāpēc, ka savu košumu un ugunību tajos ienesa ukraiņu diasporas audzēkņi un skolotāji, kas no latviešu diasporas atrodas 180 km attālumā.

Ar ukraiņiem iepazināmies septembrī, kad Baškortostānas lingvistiskajām nometnēm veltītā konferencē mūs apvienoja kopīgā uzdevumā. Jau tad šis nelielais kolektīvs sevi parādīja kā jautrus, nepiespiestus un komunikablus ļaudis. Tad arī radās „ašā” ideja paturēt šos cilvēkus savā redzes lokā, lai tādā veidā dažādotu latviskos svētkus, tādējādi radās iespēja skolēniem atklāt ko vairāk par krievu, baškīru un latviešu kultūru. Tā ir vistuvāk esošā ukraiņu diaspora, tā ir pirmā, kas paralēli latviešu tautas dziesmām, dejām un rotaļām, rādīja savas ugunīgās dejas, runāja savu dzimto valodu un uz kopīgā galda blakus latviešu speķa pīrāgiem lika savus „vareņikus” ar biezpienu, sēnēm un ķiršiem.

Ar ukraiņiem bija interesanti piedalīties Mārtiņos. Vispirms interesi izraisīja latviešu tautas tērpi, kuri mums no Latvijas atgādāti. Vilnas svārki, linu blūzes izraisīja neviltotu apbrīnu, ņemot vērā to, ka viņu tērpi darināti tepat Baškortostānā. Latviešu valoda tiem likās skaista un skanīga, it sevišķi, kad dziedājām latviešu tautas dziesmas, turklāt dzīvas mūzikas pavadījumā. Dejas, rotaļas, ķekatu bērni, tas viss aizrāva, tikai speķa pīrāgi gan nelikās ēdami. „Nu kā jūs baltmaizi ar speķi!?” šausminājās ukraiņu valodas skolotāja. „Bet kā jūs ar kāpostiem un sēnēm?” jautāju es. Katram savs, bet kaut ko kopīgi mēs tomēr atradām. Ne jau pīrāgos tas sāls, sapratnē, kas radās jau septembrī.

Tagad mūsu kārta ciemā braukt. Uzaicinājums jau saņemts. Man prieks par izdošanos, man prieks par to, ka sadarbība un draudzība nostiprinās. Ticu, ka tā pastāvēs ilgi, ja vien būs tie, kas to uzturēs, nepalaidīs vaļā.

Man vienmēr licies, ka mēs latvieši, ar ukraiņiem krieviem salīdzinot, mazliet blāvi esam. Bet te man bija iespēja ieraudzīt, ka mūsos apslēpts tik daudz degsmes, kuru mēs aiz atturības esam noslēpuši. Protam taču priecāties! Protam sevi parādīt, aizraujot citus! Protam radīt par sevi interesi. Par to es pārliecinājos šī gada Mārtiņos, šo pārliecību nemainīs nekas, lai ko čukstētu aiz muguras. Būtiski atgādināt par sevi, būtiski likt par sevi zināt. Te Urālu piekajē tas ir divkārt svarīgi. Tagad par mums zina 180 km tālāk no Maksima Gorija ciema, tagad mēs zinām, ka esam atraduši līdzīgu kripatu ļaužu, kas citā zemē cenšas sevi nepazaudēt.

Ilona Saverasa ir skolotāja, kas māca latviešu valodu un kultūru Baškortostānā.

Garanča’s career highlights compiled on one CD

Egils Kaljo | 

Record label Deutsche Grammophon has released a collection featuring the greatest recordings by famed Latvian mezzo soprano, Elīna Garanča.

Entitled simply The Best of Elīna Garanča (DG 479 2241), the CD collects recordings from Garanča’s many previous Grammophon releases.

Garanča, who the International Record Review called ‘one of the plushest, most evenly produced and alluring mezzo-sopranos of our time’, has become one of the best known mezzo sopranos in the world in the decade since her first performance at the Salzburg Festival, and has had four solo albums on the Deutsche Grammophon label. The role of Carmen has become one of her signature roles.

The CD booklet features an interview with Garanča, and is in English, French, and German.

For further information, please visit http://www.elinagaranca.com or http://www.deutschegrammophon.com/en/cat/4792241

Track listing:

1. Bizet: Séguedille et Duo: “Près des remparts de Séville”

2. Bizet: Chanson: “Les tringles des sistres tintaient”

3. Bizet: “L’amour est un oiseau rebelle” (Havanaise)

4. Delibes: Viens, Mallika, … Dôme épais (Flower Duet)

5. Saint‐Saëns: “Mon coeur s’ouvre à ta voix”

6. Offenbach: Barcarolle

7. Villa‐Lobos: Aria (Cantilena)

8. Chapi Y Lorente: Carceleras

9. Falla: 5. Nana

10. Mozart: “Parto, ma tu ben mio”

11. Donizetti: Oh! Mon Fernand

12. Bellini: Dopo l’oscuro nembo

13. Bellini: Lieto del dolce incarno ‐ La tremenda ultirce spada

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Egils Kaljo is an American-born Latvian from the New York area . Kaljo began listening to Latvian music as soon as he was able to put a record on a record player, and still has old Bellacord 78 rpm records lying around somewhere.