5 dead, 11 missing in Argentina supermarket roof collapse

GlobalPost

At least five people are dead and 11 are missing after the roof of a supermarket in the southwestern city of Neuquén, Argentina, collapsed.

"Police and firefighters, who are the people authorized to go in, confirmed five people dead, one of them apparently a minor," the city's coordination secretary, Marcelo Bermudez, told EFE.

Another 18 people were injured when the supermarket roof caved in, and were taken to different health clinics, EFE also reported. Six remain hospitalized.

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According to EFE, the reason for Cooperativa Obrera supermarket's roof collapse is still under investigation. The Buenos Aires Herald has reported that the incident happened because of the construction of a wall on top of the property.

The local paper also said there were many shoppers in the store at the time of the accident, which happened a few minutes before 8 p.m. on Thursday. The collapse left most people who were in the dairy and vegetable sections trapped under a pile of rubble and debris.

"Some people came out bleeding, others in despair... Neuquén isn't prepared for this kind of disaster," said one eyewitness, according to BBC News.

Officials said rescue operations were still underway on Friday, but were being hindered by the risk of another collapse.

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