Latvia’s Prime Minister resigns after supermarket collapse

Last week, the roof of the Maxima supermarket in the Latvian capital collapsed, killing 54 people. On Tuesday, Latvia’s Prime Minister, Valdis Dombrovskis, claimed political responsibility for the collapse, and now he has resigned from his position. “Considering the … tragedy and all the related circumstances, the country needs a government that has a majority support in parliament and can solve the situation that has arisen in the country,” Dombrovskis said.

Dombrovskis came to power in 2009, making him the longest standing Prime Minister in Latvia’s history. He helped save Latvia’s economy from a terrible recession, and was re-elected twice as prime minister.

A criminal investigation was opened to look into the building, and authorities believe that defective construction or work being done on the building’s roof caused the collapse.