Twelve years have passed since the tragedy in Zolitūde, which claimed the lives of 54 people and left dozens severely injured. This is the largest tragedy in the history of independent Latvia. At the temporary memorial established in memory of it, at 17:43 — the time of the roof collapse of the 'Maxima' supermarket — as every year, a memorial ceremony took place on Friday evening, reports TV3 News.
A few dozen people gathered at the memorial — relatives of the victims, survivors, and concerned citizens. Many of them acknowledge that this is the hardest day of the year.
"My child and I were shopping at 'Maxima'. We were lucky to leave seven minutes earlier. Essentially, 'Maxima' collapsed behind us. (…) Now we come here every year, remember, and light candles. I sympathize with all the families. Those affected by this tragedy need great support. The feelings do not go away," said Ketija about the fateful day and its aftermath.
"Today I read — 'well, a misfortune has happened'. Twelve years have passed, and no one is held accountable. I don’t know what to believe. The state is not responsible for anything. My son, who once served in the special forces, died here. This is the very country he fought for, and this is what he got in return," said the father of the deceased Andrei, Imants Burvis.
"My friend died here with his girlfriend and three other acquaintances. It’s very, very hard. I want to cry," confessed Konstantin.
"I remember everything very well. Especially the following hours and days when hope still lingered. (…) It was the hardest — especially for relatives and loved ones. There is a feeling that many may have forgotten or do not know. We also wonder — have we learned lessons from those mistakes," said a relative of the deceased family, Saeima deputy Antonina Nenaševa.
"This is a reminder to society of how important safety is and how thin the line is between life and death. Undoubtedly, it is also our duty to come and remember the deceased. Especially since three of them were our colleagues," noted the head of the State Fire and Rescue Service, Mārtiņš Baltmanis.
Throughout the day, flowers were laid at the memorial by high-ranking state officials. In the morning — President Edgars Rinkēvičs, later in the day — Prime Minister Evika Siliņa.
"I really hope that the court will be able, as much as possible, to restore justice, because it is clear that it will not bring back lives. But I think for the people who lost loved ones, the feeling of justice is very important," Siliņa stated.
In December, it will be 10 years since the criminal case regarding the tragedy in Zolitūde was submitted to the court. Therefore, many victims say that over the years they have lost faith in the judicial system of Latvia.
The first two judicial instances found only the construction engineer Ivars Serģets guilty in the tragedy. Later, the Senate of the Supreme Court ruled that the responsibility of Serģets and four others previously acquitted should be reconsidered. The case is now being reviewed again in the Riga District Court, with the next hearing scheduled for November 26.
