RIGA, November 25, 20:42 /ITAR-TASS/. Latvia’s biggest charitable organization (Ziedot.lv) has raised more than 373,000 Latvian lats (LVL) or about 746, 000 dollars for the people hurt in an accident at Riga’s Maxima trading center and the relatives of those who died in the tragedy that occurred on November 21.
The RE&RE construction company that had taken part in building the Maxima trading center on Monday transferred another 100 lats (about 200,000 dollars) to a special bank account, the president of the company’s governing board told journalists.
A charitable fund of the local Rietumu Banka has allocated 25,000 lats (50,000 dollars) to help the families of the dead. The Latvian Orthodox Church is also gathering donations.
Separate compensations and allowances to the families of the dead and injured will be paid by the Riga Duma (legislature) and the Maxima retail chain.
The Latvian state will allocate 50,000 lats (about 100,000 dollars) to the families of dead rescue workers. Besides, the state will also take on all funeral expenses. The Maxima retail chain will pay a monthly allowance worth 500 lats (about a thousand dollars) to children who lost one parent and 1,000 lats (2,000 dollars) to children who lost two parents in the accident until they come of age.
A total of 54 people, including three rescuers, died under the collapsed roof of the Maxima trading center in Riga on November 21. About 40 people, including 13 rescue workers, were injured. Twenty-nine people were taken to hospital. Nineteen of them are still receiving hospital treatment. Sixteen children lost one parent in the accident. Three children were orphaned. Their relatives are going to take care of them.