Latvia’s Prime Minister resigned after accepting political responsibility for the collapse of a supermarket roof in the capital that killed 54 people and wounded at least forty  others.

Valdis Dombrovskis’ decision means that his center-right government automatically falls. He is the longest serving prime minister in Latvia’s history.

Last week’s collapse of the Maxima supermarket was the worst disaster since Latvia declared its independence from Soviet Union in 1991, and has caused a storm of outrage from Latvians. Police have opened a criminal investigation into the cause of last week’s tragedy. Possible explanations for the disaster include a flawed design, substandard construction materials, and corruption.

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