The Zolitūde Shopping Centre Collapse | A Short Documentary | Fascinating Horror

[@jasonfullerton7763]

I am reminded of the old saying: "You cannot put a price on safety." I am a manufacturing engineer, and I always say that this is Rule #1 in a factory: "Everyone goes home today with 10 fingers and 10 toes." Nothing else (cost, time, efficiency, convenience) can ever override Rule #1. No matter if you are the janitor or the CEO - you either act safely or get out of my production floor.

[@karaamundson3964]

100 on that.

[@SirGuifoyle]

Respect.

[@MarquisDeSang]

No matter how often we told employees to close the cover of the high speed moulding machine and wear hear protection of their choice that we would pay for them, they would never ever do any of this.

[@hotmailcompany52]

sadly the government only sees us as statistics in a document rather than people

[@MarquisDeSang]

@Alice Kae They simply did not care, it is like they were doing their best to make everything they did dangerous.

[@mayapucuka5306]

Being a Latvian myself it's great to see this globally not very well known disaster covered. It really was a devastating day for Latvia, especially being the small country we are. The fact that made this catastrophe so bad was the timing - 5.40, peak time for the shopping center, right around the time when a lot of people got off of work and went to Maxima to do their shopping often sadly with their children they have picked up from school before. There were heartbreaking stories of kids losing both of their parents and people only running inside for 5min to buy milk and sadly never coming out again. I know a girl who lived close to this shopping center and wanted to go but a phone call distracted her. If you would ask a Latvian what they did when they first heard of the collapse most would remember. To this day I can only compare it to the feeling I had on 9/11. I also remember following disaster we had 3 days of mourning when virtually no public events happened and there were no advertisements in television instead a short video in memory of victims was being shown. After this disaster many people also chose to boycott the shopping chain Maxima because they believed they had at least some fault in the collapse. There was also a lengthy trial but most people (especially victims families) are not really satisfied with the outcome thinking that the ones guilty got off mostly scot free. Btw another Baltic disaster worth covering would be sinking of MS Estonia in 1994. Despite the fact that almost 30y have passed its still a very mysterious event with many conspiracy theories surrounding it. *** Wow didn't expect this comment to get this big. Thank you for all the likes and replies :) ***

[@gohawks3571]

Poor babies😢

[@laurenhodges6411]

Thank you for sharing your testimony. That is utterly saddening.

[@morganosborne9258]

I cannot even imagine the horror and sadness felt by the surrounding community. It was appalling that state inspections were shelved to save money. What heartbreaking cost in human lives.

[@VideoDotGoogleDotCom]

Yes, the MS Estonia disaster is definitely worth covering. Knowing the details, it was an unfathomably tragic chain of events.

[@Every_Day_islike_Sunday]

I'm so sorry.

[@QT5656]

I really appreciate the global perspective of this channel.

[@A_Ducky]

Me too, very much!

[@mackinblack]

Gay

[@dandandydan]

Same here.

[@Little.Bird.]

I concur!!

[@Little.Bird.]

Your videos give me so much to look forward to.. I love the start of the weeks just for the reason I know one of you chilling videos 📹 of something bad happening with Shirley arrive..thank you so D

[@AnUndeadMonkey]

"In place of one long beam, two shorter beams were bolted together." Aaand it's the Hyatt Regency Walkway all over again.

[@erikreinert4996]

It's not quite the same. There is nothing inherently wrong with the decision to divide the long truss girders (as can be seen at 8:27) into multiple segments as the forces on both segments are divided equally (unlike Hyatt). Also it makes prefabricating them in a factory and transporting them to the construction side possible or at least a lot easier. Prefabricating girders is usually done when you have a lot of welding as the factory is a controlled environment with no rain, constant temperatures, better worker safety, etc. resulting in higher quality of the welds. Also transporting very long beams is sometimes not possible or too difficult because of road restrains. However you can also see at 8:27 that the truss girders are divided directly in the middle into only two (presumably prefabricated) segments. The problem here is that the forces acting on the girder are the highest in the middle of the span and that is where they put the bolts to connect the two segments. Even then it could have been OK if the bolts (and the metal plates they are attached to) are designed with enough margin and there is no extra load added. But they did add some extra loads with the rooftop garden and there are possibly changing forces in the foundation due to basement modifications, resulting in shifting loads in the upper sections of the structure and overloading the bolts. It seems very plausible to me that this is the fatal flaw. Also notice how at 7:30 you can see the collapsed girders are divided at this weakspot with the prefabricated segments still being mostly intact. When I (an architecture student) was taking civil engineering classes the professor would show different designs of truss girders and tell us never to design one that is divided right in the middle. Instead there are points along the span where certain important forces within the beams are at a minimum so you would divde there (if a single element beam is not feasible for whatever reason). Somebody else will know in more detail. I just saw the pictures of the girders and it raised an instant red flag with me.

[@belphy205]

@@erikreinert4996 Thank you for this. It was really interesting and informative

[@beerious8392]

@Erik Rienert a simple pillar placed where the two segments of the girder join, transferring the load to a footing below would have saved lives. Sucks to have a column in the middle of your wide open space, but worth it. As a builder, I would never have a joint in a beam without putting a post under it. I wouldn't sleep at night.

[@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823]

The Hyatt was a rod, not a beam. Should have been one. Wound up being 2.

[@kevin6293]

Also JAL123.

[@dirtyhannie]

Yes, the civil engineer might have miscalculated but for him to get 6 years of prison and act as a scapegoat? There were many things wrong in the whole chain and it wasn't just a single person responsible.

[@richardglenn997]

Yeah i agree. But didn't the government take responsibility and resign?? New form of government after. The whole team of builders shouldn't be put responsible. It should be whoever is in charge of them! And he didnt ask authorities if what he was doing was okay. So it ends with him

[@morganosborne9258]

Agree. State inspections during construction may well have required changes that would have avoided or minimized effects of the failures. Seems there should have been some accountability there as well, but that does not happen.

[@dacekundrate4391]

@@richardglenn997 Our Prime Minister only resigned because he had a position in European Government. He would have resigned anyway. This tragedy only made him resign a bit earlier.

[@cope9489]

I live there and I have seen far worse things done in the courts and government, but there aren't usually any casualties in those decisions, just bad money management and corruption usually

[@DistractedGlobeGuy]

Yep. But engineers generally aren't part of the ruling class, so they don't get the resources to defend themselves.

[@drazlet]

Just so you can understand the scale of this in proportion to the country, the percent of the population that died in this is actually slightly higher than the percentage of those who died in 9/11 compared to the US’s population at the time. Although no where near as impactful and large in terms of scale, Latvia truly felt a similarly heavy loss. In a different country, these sorts of things don’t usually make national news, but for Latvia, it is a scar on the nation’s psyche.

[@warm.t33th]

this is a really interesting thing to consider. i cant imagine how heartbreaking that must have been

[@Pandidolod]

The only reason 9/11 was as big of a thing was because the government wanted to use it to justify a forever-war overseas. You don't have to downplay the mall incident at all.

[@nthgth]

Surely it made national news in that nation, so still in proportion to the impact

[@nthgth]

Also, I'd argue that the proportion to the country is globally irrelevant - how horrible the event was, i.e. the scale of the suffering, is relative to the ideal of zero. Or relative to the human race as a whole.

[@TerryFarrah]

I was curious about exactly this comparison. Thanks for doing the arithmetic.

[@SangerZonvolt]

Thats why I could never be a building engieneer: I could do these calculations 100s of times and still worry every day that one of my buildings collapses.

[@Krystalmyth]

Yours probably wouldn't fall then.

[@jasonfullerton7763]

I am am engineer, but if I botch my math the only bad result is a few circuit boards don't work. Civil engineering, in particular, is a discipline where the severity of a failure is 10/10, even if the frequency of occurrence is rare.

[@rockydify]

That’s why there should be oversight. A building shouldn’t rely on the calculations of one person.

[@berzerkbankie1342]

My job is relatively safe if I mess something up. Mostly property damage, more than likely no death or serious injury and I still worry every time I leave a job site (even after 10 years) "did I glue that piece together?" "Did I tighten that hose clamp?"

[@UnknownOps]

I mean; proper safe measurements, usage of good, reliable materials, and following the idea of safety is not a cost but an investment, your career will go a long way without or with minimal fail.

[@SovietWomble]

God damn does this content appeal to me. Direct and to the point, informative, cleanly presented, with virtually no opinionated rubbish. No shilling for some service or hawking some product. If only the rest of KZbin were exactly like this channel, it would be a much better website.

[@pantsumaster4891]

Nice seeing you here soviet

[@nataliesiddle8507]

Nice to see one of my fave you tubers watching content from another of my faves 👍🏻

[@TimPerfetto]

Yeah stuff that hair

[@IIDraithII]

Well said.

[@zacharyrollick6169]

I agree, Soviet.

[@Law-and-Disorder]

That false alarm was insane timing though. What happened was bad enough but imagine how many more could have been caught in the collapse

[@margin606]

'Insane?'

[@JeantheSecond]

@@margin606 Insane coincidence?

[@quillmaurer6563]

I was thinking the same thing - presenter ponders if investigating and fixing that could have detected the structural issues, but on the other hand had they fixed the fire alarm without finding and fixing the structural issues the alarm wouldn't have caused some people to leave and there would have been more victims. One of those situations where things were so bad that one problem actually helped mitigate an even more serious one.

[@ville666sora]

@@margin606 🙄🙄🙄

[@TheLittleRedRidingHood]

As someone who lives in Latvia and actually have friends who went to that exact shop earlier that day - it was just completely tragic and horrifying. Everyone was calling each other and the phone lines were completely booked, so it was hard to reach out to someone. People were also trying to steal food on their way of getting out of the shop as it was breaking down, but the guards were trying to stop them from stealing. It was just completely insane. I think every Latvian can remember what they were doing that day, when that happened. A lot of people stopped shopping in Maxima completely and doesn’t trust the brand anymore. P.s. English is not my first language, but I hope you can understand what I meant.

[@intdisaster]

You speak better english than I do..

[@joo069]

Your English is great! I think the only part of your comment that is grammatically incorrect was the last sentence. It should say: "A lot of people stopped shopping *at* Maxima completely and [they] *don't* trust the brand anymore.". Anyway, your English is much better than most native speakers I see on KZbin! 😂

[@X_irtz]

Yeah nah... i don't agree with the part, that claims the people stopped shopping at Maxima after this. This does not have anything to do with the company itself, but the lack of management, responsibility and greed of the contruction company, that built this thing.

[@kgoulding1237]

I usually think engineering issues are past issues as technology has advanced so much, but this wasn't that long ago, and in Christchurch NZ a building that collapsed in the 2011 earthquake was because the engineer who designed it stole his degree from his dad with the same name.

[@Law-and-Disorder]

Honestly that whole series of earthquakes highlighted a LOT of issues that should never have existed

[@PaleHorseShabuShabu]

Sole? Like the fish?

[@louisasmiles]

@@PaleHorseShabuShabu soul, as in ,"are you going to heaven?, Soul

[@lexwithbub]

@@louisasmiles sole as in the bottom of your shoe

[@MrDannyDetail]

@@lexwithbub sole as in 'o sole mio'

[@lauriepenner350]

Rooftop garden: Most people: That sounds like a nice addition. People who watch this channel: Oh sh*t, how much does that weigh?

[@AwkwardKidAdventures]

Seriously, I used to love the idea of rooftop gardens. Now I think about them and cringe, lol

[@itsmxtwist]

I feel as long as it was adequately planed for in the original design or changes made to be able to deal with it I don’t mine but of course you don’t always know

[@lauriepenner350]

@@itsmxtwist Oh, I'm sure there are ways to do a renovation like that safely. You won't hear about them on this channel though...

[@gracesreadsalotayy182]

I love the idea of rooftop gardens but ONLY if it was calculated in the design and not added later. You know what courtyards are nice. Me hearing two projects where happening : OH NO

[@weltonvillegal6258]

First thing I thought was Algo Center in Elliott Lake, Canada. Also covered on this channel…….

[@MichaelNealeYT]

All the disasters like this come down to the same thing: Corners cut everywhere and finger pointing and yet we never learn

[@richardglenn997]

Agreed

[@aidancoutts2341]

Remember for every instance of corner cutting, most of the time it is without consequence. Its all about odds really. That's how it keeps happening.

[@gordonaliasme1104]

Corporate greed. The love of money overrides human rights 😡

[@lucindawelenc2191]

Politicians and others who delight at finger pointing should remember that when you point the finger at someone else, three fingers point back to YOU.

[@AwkwardKidAdventures]

The finger-pointing is the part that really aggravates me. "It wasn't OUR fault! It was those guys who made the bolts! YEAH, that's it! It was them!" "Well maybe if you knew how to screw IN a bolt properly, this wouldn't have happened!!!"

[@annarigolettoyxiris9439]

I'm from Latvia and remember the incident covered live. Cannot imagine the terror of people buried, and lots of firemen and ambulances worked round the clock to try and save as many people, while locals bought them food and drink trying to help in any way they could. The collapse of the government was because of public outrage, as the investigation took an extremely long time and people didn't feel it was justified. Extremely sad day for all of us...

[@shogun2215]

On the topic of shopping centre collapses, perhaps the Sampoong Collapse in South Korea would be a good topic to cover on this channel, for the sheer level of incompetence and greed that allowed it to happen.

[@pickles3128]

Yeah, they added an extra level after it had already been engineered, designed, and part way through the building process, then added a gigantic A/C unit to the roof that was heavier than an original 2001 xbox. And people kept saying, "Hey, there's cracks in the floor near the support beams," but it was treated more as a cosmetic issue, not a safety one, right up to the collapse.

[@NinjaTyler]

@@pickles3128 and when notified of imminent collapse the owners refused to shut down the mall to make a few extra dollars ...while they quickly fled the building...

[@AviationNut]

I thought he already did the Sampoong collapse in SK, but maybe i am mistaking it with another channel.

[@billul1]

And when the floor bulges down because of the stress, their solution is to add cement on top of it so it looks flat again

[@aadil3569]

@@AviationNut yeah Brick Immortar did a good video on it, but it's in a similar style to this channel

[@Shionlira]

I was at a Food court in a Shopping Center once with my mother when a super loud ear piercing alarm went off. Everyone around looked confused but no one exited the building and just resumed eating. We looked at the staff working around the restaurants and even they looked like they didn't know what to do. My mother and I packed our stuff and decided to exit the building. On our way out we smelled smoke and there where some firefighters going in the direction we came from. This just shows how freaky accidents like that happen. The staff are not instructed about what to do in this situation, and people just ignore alarms.

[@CoraBuhlert]

When the L'Innovation department store in Brussels, Belgium, burned down in 1967, a lot of people in the top floor restaurant ignored the alarm to finish their lunch, until it was too late and the building was engulfed in flames, the escape route cut off. And because there had been anti-war protests (it was the height of the Vietnam war) going on outside the store, some employees thought the alarm had been triggered by fireworks set off by the protesters. In the end 251 people died. This would be a good subject to cover for this channel BTW.

[@Codraroll]

At least the disconcerted staff show that something unusual is happening. If they brush it off with "don't worry, this happens all the time" you have no way of knowing whether things will be fine, or if a disaster is in progress.

[@nevaehhamilton3493]

That's concerning, not to mention unethical on your manager's part

[@Christinarina.]

Please leave the building if able when you hear a fire alarm 😢

[@erinschlothauer6910]

fascinating horror: adding a park on top of the roof frequent viewers: oh well that's the problem fh: and adding a parking garage below fv: double damage (an oversimplification, but I think we were all thinking this at the beginning.)

[@hownottoadult1014]

That and pools

[@Aurilaushe]

Yup, as soon as I heard they built something on the roof I knew the end was near

[@sarmajere2866]

I swear I have learned where to avoid visiting from this channel.

[@keawarren]

Exactly. I heard “rooftop garden” and thought, “Whelp, here we go ...” .

[@FelonyVideos]

And foundation problems. Nothing can stand on a bad foundation, regardless of the quality and design.

[@ladyfarona1988]

I'm not an engineer but just the idea of adding weight to the top of a structure and also digging below it doesn't sound like a good idea. Regardless, this structure was already doomed by the time it was being built. Such a shame. RIP to all those who perished. Thanks FH for another informative and well-put-together video.

[@ursodermatt8809]

i am not so sure that was just an afterthought

[@jayjaynella4539]

The soil on the roof would have retained much water which was not included in the calculations.

[@scaryocean8272]

I vividly remember this being everywhere in the news but thought no one outside of Latvia would care, thanks for covering this very local topic! There was also a brief moment of panic in the family because we thought that our father might have gone to that exact Maxima store on his way back home. Luckily, this wasn't the case.

[@ariahazelwood3842]

So glad for you! It is such a tragedy that I never heard of this (though I was a kid at the time so it makes sense) but now I won't forget it either. I bet you hugged him soooo hard when he came home with the groceries that day 💜

[@Olhado256]

For what it's worth, it was the biggest story of the day here in Poland

[@lenomnom]

I know this is of no consolation at all, but it got quite a bit of news coverage in Austria following the collapse and then at the outcome of the trial. The feeling of shock how something like this could happen and the outrage over all the innocent lives lost in such a senseless and avoidable way was definitely felt beyond the Latvian border. While not on the forefront of my mind, I immediately knew what this video was going to be about when I saw the title. I’m glad your father was safe and I feel great sadness for all the families affected by this tragedy.

[@aperson1764]

I remember it from the Russian news

[@felicitybywater8012]

It was on the news here in Australia too. First, we have a decent sized Latvian migrant population and, second, it happened to our fellow human beings just going about their day. Live long and prosper, Latvia. And the same goes to everyone else ❤

[@nicholascoleman1131]

As an architect, I appreciate that your channel often makes me aware of the consequences of the minutiae of my profession, and the real cost of our building code and regulation requirements. Thank you.

[@A_Ducky]

This is the worst nightmare of every civil/structural engineer, but the ultimate fault here is lack of inspection. Was it Ivars Sergets who switched the long beams to short ones.. or the contractor? I'd love to see the original blueprints, but they're probably not online. Awesome video, as always! Thank you!

[@zmbdog]

Yeah, I can't believe it all came down on him and everyone else was acquitted. That's pretty f*ed

[@clray123]

@@zmbdog That's typical human "justice" - just need to find someone weak to blame to appease the mob.

[@adde9506]

Poor guy deserved to be punished. But he certainly shouldn't have been the only one. So what if everyone else passes the blame. Whatever idiot decided to put a garden on the roof, for one. Even if the original calculations had been right, it never would have supported that.

[@reginaldbowls7180]

@@zmbdog Yeah that is totally Effed

[@A_Ducky]

@@adde9506 Considering how many people this project had to go through before even breaking ground + afterwards.. it seems they've picked only this man as a scapegoat. Roof gardens & pools are common in NYC for example, but ofc gotta have those calcs down to the minutest degree, and the inspector should be on site during the entire construction to make sure contractors & subcontractors don't cut corners (most will attempt it, if no inspector on site). Whomever switched the beams did the most damage by far. Can't just switch shit like that, or we wouldn't need blueprints. It took a shitton of calcs to arrive at that particular SINGLE beam, and 2 same ones but shorter can't replace it. Doesn't work that way.

[@Krystalmyth]

Respect to Latvia for taking accountability, and allow for change to come of this. You're better than most.

[@BertLensch]

Building Owner: "We're going to add a playground and landscaping to the roof!" My first thought: Is the roof even rated for that extra weight, and the weight of the construction equipment you're going to put up there? Fascinating Horror: "No. No, no, no, noooooooooooo..."

[@cynvision]

I had similar reaction. After Surfside Florida the "added a rooftop garden" set off my deadload alarm. Metal fatigue of a design change using bolts... Sounds a bit like the Hyatt walkway collapse.

[@Codraroll]

Extra weight isn't necessarily a problem, if there is a sufficient load margin. The question, however, isn't "What is the extra load margin?" but "*How certain* are you about that extra load margin?"

[@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823]

@@cynvision The problem in FL is that it was already AT 100% capacity. That's insane to begin with. It's supposed to be very overbuilt and it wasn't.

[@wilkatis]

Being a somewhat northern country Latvia tends to have a lot of spare capacity for the roofs weight load - snow can come in quickly and on mass, that has to be accounted for. Thus, properly constructed it surely would have been within the given specification (altho as mentioned in the video those weren't exactly correct). Hell, even the small roof over my porch is built to withstand a typical car being put on it. A point they didn't mention in the video is that the garden was in the process of being built and thus the materials were mostly concentrated on a relatively small section of the roof rather than being spread across it, which was most definitely ill advised

[@enamis1]

Hi, hello this happened in my home city! Very bizzare seeing a youtube video about it, and even more bizzare realizing how long its been since. It really was a huge event when it happened but by now its sort of faded to the backdrop as most disasters do. As we are a very small country practically everyone knew a friend-of-a-friend in this situation. I can tell a few extra anecdotes (thats the right word for it no?) from the locals. A family was taking extra time before checking out arguing about a frozen pizza when the roof went, and that argument basically saved them. Another acquaintance always went shopping at the same time every day but that day her son called and she didnt go at her usual time. I dont remember the specifics, but there were many people who heard the whole building creaking for a minute before the collapse, so it wasnt exactly 'without warning', though you cant expect people to know what to do in that situation. As I heard everyone who died basically did so instantly because of the concrete slabs, which is small mercy. Also fun tidbit, the ū is pronounced closer to a soft oo at the end of 'twO' then 'yue' as you did. So its more like Zoh-lih-too-deh. But good effort with the name.

[@c.w.8200]

I'm impressed there were consequences though, usually engineers and politicians get away with these errors.

[@A_Ducky]

Usually engineers lose their license if this happens.

[@AccomplishmentMissed]

@@A_Ducky which is tantamount to getting away with it, when people die as a result.

[@janedoe-hq9vn]

Yep!

[@MuscarV2]

Usually in some places, sure, but very much not all over the globe. In most European countries things like this almost always get handled well.

[@egggge4752]

in the US lmao

[@rilmar2137]

The metal beams being replaced with several shorter ones part brings to mind the Hyatt Regency Kansas City Hotel skywalk collapse. Which means the lessons were not learned from that one.

[@ladymienshao5014]

I was thinking the same thing!

[@Hannah-zw9ow]

To be fair I don’t think it’s exactly reasonable to expect that a small Eastern European country is all that up to date on the current events of Kansas, US.

[@Kitty-mb4hy]

@@Hannah-zw9ow Exactly. I am from Russia not Latvia and have never heard about the Hyatt Regency collapse until like two or three years ago. One needs to be interested in the disaster topic to know of it.

[@vaclavholek4497]

I thought the same exact thing! 👍

[@Angie-Pants]

@@Hannah-zw9ow It may not be known by the general public but yes, in the 2010s, any actual engineer would have learned about the Hyatt in college/uni. It's essentially Structural Engineering 101 at this point.

[@reizak8966]

So, the building had structural issues and a malfunctioning fire alarm... and instead of addressing these issues they approved the construction of a garden on the roof? That's both infuriating and disturbing.

[@Gr95dc]

I'm a metallurgical engineer and this video made me remember what one of professors once said to my class: "a mistake in school cost you your grades, a mistake outside at work costs lives." So damn true, I feel some of this videos should be played at some classes to remind students that even small errors can cost multiple lives.

[@eadaoinmurphy20]

It's always interesting when you've never heard of them

[@mookzmom]

As an American, I often find myself ashamed at all the disasters in other countries I never heard of.

[@eadaoinmurphy20]

@@mookzmom To be fair a lot of things happen before people are born and we weren't reminded of them, and at least you are hearing about them now and I'm saying this as an Irish person

[@Koreviking]

You’ve never heard of it? It was all over the news!

[@eadaoinmurphy20]

@@Koreviking I mean I was seven or eight when this happened so there's a ten percent chance I forgot

[@ravensthatflywiththenightm7319]

Probably because the world is a bit too obsessed about laughing at disasters happening in America.

[@gatewayofboredom]

ngl there's something interesting about hearing these obscure events plus there's no corners cut reading these events, which is why this channel is amazing

[@zak369]

this isnt very obscure…. every anniversary of this the national television channels hold a moment of silence and dont have ads

[@babecat2000]

@@zak369 It is obscure for people from other countries who don't know.

[@Glory_be_to_Christ]

I discovered this channel about 9 months ago and I must say, there has never been a single one that hasn't kept me interested the whole way through, and I love the score you use for the vids

[@sdraper2011]

I love the music, too - it's perfect.

[@reachandler3655]

I concur. Informative, interesting and respectful.

[@Laurenimaoo]

@@sdraper2011 absolutely, sometimes background music used in videos like these can be intrusive, but here is used and chosen perfectly

[@onesadtech]

Wow, as a Canadian who had never heard of this disaster, I want to thank you for bringing it to light for more people. Fantastically presented, as always. 👌

[@signijaopincane9728]

i was 13 when this happened and i still remember waiting for updates on this, checking the news every few minutes

[@richardglenn997]

Must've been scary

[@baltulielkungsgunarsmiezis9714]

Un man bija 12, un es mierīgi dzīvoju savu dzīvi, jo ziņas neskatos.

[@signijaopincane9728]

@@richardglenn997 it was, especially because we didn’t know if two of our family members were in there or not, because they lived near there and usually got off work at that time

[@signijaopincane9728]

@@baltulielkungsgunarsmiezis9714 good for you.

[@jonathancarlson6127]

“A deferral of responsibility…” Now that’s a perfect title for a feature length documentary on this.

[@jmurray01]

I remember hearing about the second collapse on the news. Shocking and heartbreaking for those who lost their lives. Excellent video as always very well produced.

[@markusstrauss1963]

As a Latvian, I thank you for exploring this disastrous event in this video, I remember staying up late at night and watching live news coverage of how it all unraveled, I couldn't sleep for days.

[@ImmortalKat4ever]

"State inspection of buildings had been ELIMINATED." Jesus Christ, that's literally just asking for a disaster like this. I figured you were going to stay they switched to a cheaper inspector or something but nooo, that would be too reasonable.

[@cope9489]

I don't know why they didn't move money from somewhere else, less important into here, like they could've reduced the road budget (which pretty much gets wasted anyway) and moved that to safety

[@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823]

They pretty much all cost the same in the States. But you do want to follow them around so you understand the report. Helps if they make one laypeople can understand, too.

[@wilkatis]

@@cope9489 probably because road budget - the joke that it is at the best of times - was pretty much eliminated aswell. Everyone has heard how Greece went bankrupt, trust me when I tell you Latvia was just a hairs width away from the same faith after the financial crisis.

[@happyfacefries]

I'd like to know how the feel thought it was a good idea to cut back on spending by not only cutting inspections, but to cut them completely. I would then like to know who the hell also agreed that it was a good idea and agreed to it.

[@UchihaMadara401]

When the mall was very new, me and my friends would sometimes climb the steep grass part right next to the main entrance and end up on the pebble filled lower level of the roof. They later placed a fence there so we couldn't do it anymore. Fun times. I was a 7th grader at the time, in a school that was minutes away from the mall. I remember I had a tutor over, we started hearing sirens in the middle of the lesson, then my grandma who had the radio on told us about the collapse, and we decided to cut the lesson short. The next day school started with the lesson where we would build stuff out of wood and such, and our teacher told us that when you half-ass your job - this is what happens. One of my classmates told us that he was on his way home from the mall when he heard the collapse. School was shortened that day, so naturally me and a few others went over to have a look ourselves. There were a lot of people: workers clearing the debris, rescuers, people waiting for their missing relatives who were there the whole night, volunteers handing out hot tea, food and blankets, reporters, we even saw the mayor giving an interview. Looking back, that was so surreal - the biggest tragedy in my country's history in god knows how many years, I can hardly believe I was even there. Nowadays the memorial is standing on the very parking lot. Next to it is a big metal roof covering the site of the collapse. None of the mall is left standing, but the apartment building that was being constructed as part of the mall is still standing - nearly finished from the outside, with only a couple pieces of sheathing missing. And even though it looks several decades more modern than the surrounding buildings, it will likely never be inhabited. Why they still haven't deconstructed it - I don't know.

[@1970boobear]

You take precautions 100% of the time for the .05% chance something could go wrong. Always worth it. ❤

[@skylerricketts7392]

That’s why it’s “Pre-Caution” and we need more of them

[@KiloOne]

I’m ecstatic you brought this to the forefront. Many didn’t know how catastrophic it was for us and still don’t now. We’re a nation that’s always had great tragedy surround it, from many hockey players dying in the midst of their careers to spending half our lifetime as a country under occupation. It’s through these tragedies, that we rise up from and hold ourselves against all odds. We will never die as long as our fire never burns out. Ūrā!

[@runbyjunglered]

I hope some of the comments here are a comfort to you, to see how many people care. Loss of life on any scale is terrible, but when there's a massive, senseless loss of life like this, to a relatively small country, it's a strange, tragic thing. I'm sorry this terrible event happened. I pray Latvia has much better days waiting ahead.

[@dacekundrate4391]

Wow, I am so surprised that you covered Zolitūde tragedy. It was awful for us Latvians. Everyone was in shock. Our friend is construction engineer. We were talking with him about this disaster few days after it happened. He said that they had discussed this case at work and judging by the available photos they had concluded that inappropriate screws were used. Also, don't praise our Prime Minister. He only resigned, because he had a position in European Government and would have resigned anyway. No one really got punished. Only one man, who was used as a scapegoat. We had a lengthy trail. Victims got some compensation from Maxima, because they had very disgusting safety and work practices. And their attitude towards the tragedy was appalling. But the main villain, the building company, didn't suffer any consequences. They still exist and are one of main construction companies in Latvia. Everyone treated Maxima as the main culprit, even though they were only renting the space for shop. They didn't built it.

[@Rhymelie]

1:05 When a pet shop in the centre was mentioned, I dreaded hearing about what happened to it too, but the fact that nothing was mentioned made me feel worse. I don't want to undercut a tragedy towards humans, but I can't help but feel bad for those animals that died, trapped and terrified as well

[@denisecastellanos4866]

Bringing up concern for animals does not in any way undercut the loss of human life. That would be like saying that animal rescues should not exist because there is still human suffering in the world. For many people in the world animals are family. Even the animals that cannot be kept as pets, and would likely eat you. They matter, our deep seated kinship with animals matters, and the fact that they matter does not diminish the value of my own life.

[@donwoodward7944]

Thanks FH for another interesting episode! We blindly assume all buildings and structures we use every day are safe, but there are structures out there *right now* that could collapse at any moment. It sometimes just has to come down to bad luck. May those who perished in this senseless tragedy rest in peace.

[@Codraroll]

I kinda wonder how many such episodes were seconds from happening, but then didn't because somebody made a random change of plans. A building owner who cheaped out and chose not to add a rooftop garden after all. A colleague looking over the shoulder of an engineer and saying "Whoops, buddy, you shouldn't draw beams bolted together like that". Some worker on the construction site looking twice at his instructions, then objecting to the choice of bolts. A random engineer visiting the supermarket, looking at the ceiling with a frown, and sending a fortuitous email to the building authorities once he gets home. So many tiny coincidences create disasters all the time, so logically there must be all sorts of tiny coincidences that prevent them all the time too.

[@marcg210]

When you mentioned the single steel bars being replaced with 2 and a bolt, I immediately thought of the Hyatt Hotel in Kansas City, which you covered in a video.

[@A_Ducky]

2am. I know I shouldn't be watching horrorific stuff before sleep, but it's not just any horror.. it's a FASCINATING HORROR upload, and those are not to be missed no matter what!

[@AwkwardKidAdventures]

LOL I had to start watching these during the day for that reason. Also, the music is unsettling enough that if I watched it at night, I started imagining things in the shadows after I went to bed. 😅

[@A_Ducky]

@@AwkwardKidAdventures 👀 Now I read that, I'll probably see some shiz tonight, lol. *Sealing closets shut*

[@harmlesscreationsofthegree1248]

Rooftop gardens that get retrofitted to buildings not initially designed to hold them are a really bad idea.

[@tabby73]

Rooftop gardens are much more heavy than people think. Engineers should know that tho.

[@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823]

Isn't it supposed to be VERY overbuilt? I know lots of condos that were factories. I'd stake my life they're going nowhere. Whole place is full of insanely overbuilt features for residential.

[@eesti919]

AFAIK they even didn't use special low-weight hollow-concrete gravel (as written in project) but instead a typical simple soil...

[@RXSVN_2]

@@eesti919 afaik?

[@eesti919]

@@RXSVN_2 As Far As I Know

[@noodle5283]

"The foundation of the building requires repairs" I'm sorry, what?

[@d4v0r_x]

new foundations were ordered on alibaba and shipped dhl express

[@scotthenderson292]

@@d4v0r_x nah dude. Seriously? My brother used their services. Missed just ONE payment. They repossessed the foundation after just two days. A couple of men came and took it when no one was looking. Crooks, man. Crooks.

[@felicitybywater8012]

Yeah. "Hey, the foundations, the bits that hold the whole building up, need repair, so let's add more heavy stuff to the building before that's finished. I mean, what could go wrong, huh?".

[@madnatty]

My thoughts too…water in the foundations, recipe for disaster. Switching out beams, locked and loaded.

[@u.v.s.5583]

@@madnatty Water in foundations? No problem. We have nice winters in Latvia. The water will freeze and be stronger than concrete!

[@MaithSin1]

Every episode on this channel is a Final Destination sequel pitch. Scary stuff - very well delivered- respectful and insightful. Don’t know why we are so obsessed with morbid stories but I’ll definitely be watching many more of these videos, as many commenters have stated also!

[@mrsjoelrobinson]

"shorter beams bolted together" oof, hyatt regency walkway collapse flashbacks...

[@melatoninqueen6914]

My thoughts exactly

[@egg-mr4kf]

It's amazing to finally see someone outside our country even mention this tragedy. I was 13, and kind of shocked at what i was seeing on TV, so my memory from the event isn't perfect, but i distinctly remember seeing one of the collapses (the second, i assume), in the background of a live interview. It was also the first time i heard uncensored swearing on TV. The thing that stuck to me the most from the tragedy, was when me and my mom took the bus to the site the next day, to put down a candle. We saw an older man standing by the fence that had been put up. He had been waiting for someone who was inside. As far as I know, no more survivors were found after that.

[@3M3R3L]

This man is the real Lemony Snicket with his series of unfortunate events.

[@mammasprofils744]

As a Latvian, i remember this tragedy. I was 11 at the time. I got Home from my children’s artschool lessons at around 6pm and my mom said that a roof of a supermarket in Riga collapsed. We didnt think much of it at first because a similar thing happened at a Home depot type of store’s warehouse recently in my town. A few hours later, as I was going to bed I saw my mom in tears by the tv, in realisation of the tragedy that has occurred. For the next few days it felt like the entire country had stopped. The internet was full of stories about last texts, eye whitenesses and counting every single dead victim found. About a year later I actually got to drive past the site and it felt so chilling yet pretty forgotten. I am happy that this story is being covered and the light is shined on the issues that caused this massive tragedy. Thank you.

[@michafaine2433]

Just small changes would've fixed everything. Some shortcuts can be absolutely life changing.

[@ursodermatt8809]

any short cut will come back to bite eventually

[@smilesfordays]

Life ending

[@MattMetalMayho]

I’m recovering from a leg operation stuck in a cast. I went through to entire back catalogue 2 days ago and have been kinda sad so don’t have more to watch…then you dropped this! Perfect timing, I love these. The tone, the detail the editing, the timing all perfect! Well done and thanks.

[@neptunesedge9123]

I’m so happy to see this tragedy being talked about, I commented about it a while ago. I remember all of this unfolding on tv since it happened in my city.

[@Badazitan]

Please never change the music for this - it's haunting but not too over the top

[@aewtx]

There shouldn't have even been anybody trapped. There was a prior fire alarm. Everyone should have been evacuated, even if they thought it was a false alarm, out of precaution. That store was negligent.

[@Coygon]

When you get an alarm every other day, and they're all (seemingly) false, it doesn't take long before you just ignore them. What should have happened is that a thorough inspection and repair into the alarms should have been done, rather than just shrugging them off as faulty or oversensitive and continuing as normal.

[@aewtx]

@@Coygon That was a business establishment. Yes, they should have gotten it checked out, but it doesn't mean they could get complacent about the alarms in the meantime.

[@MarsJenkar]

@@Coygon See also: The Boy who Cried Wolf.

[@BigHenFor]

The Store wasnt negligent alone. The owners of the building were. They installed the fire alarm system and didn't bother checking it. A system of mandatory annual check and testing for fire alarms would have emsured faults were caught early. Plus, there should be a Whistleblower Law, so that stuff like this can be reported without fears of reprisal. It's the lack of a distinct safety culture that asks "What could go wrong?" and puts a statutory duty on employers and employees in workplaces to safeguard health and safety in the workplace. Perhaps that's what should be established. They shouldn't wait until regulations have to be written in the blood of victims. Plus, the lack of statutory building and fire inspection is troubling. The fact that the building did not survive more than 6 years shows how bad the structual engineer did his job.

[@aewtx]

@@BigHenFor Yes, of course there were others to fault, but the owners shouldn't have just let people say in there, regardless if whether or not it was a false alarm. That's basic business operations.

[@UnknownOps]

Knowing you cover unheard or lesson-known incidents is always welcome. Hearing the same incident over and over again feels cheap.

[@gerardacronin334]

While you may not have heard of this incident, many commenters on this video are from Latvia and are all too familiar with it.

[@xXspottyXx]

False alarms are dangerous,bc if they happen too often, people ignore them even when things get serious/dangerous

[@sophierobinson2738]

I watched the USCSB videos and that is a major factor of many of the disasters they investigated.

[@xXspottyXx]

@@sophierobinson2738 ok,can I ask what USCSB is 👀

[@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823]

I leave right when I hear one, so no matter to me.

[@xXspottyXx]

@@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823 same kinda

[@nedk09]

As a Civil Engineer this is scary. We all have off days and make mistakes. The key thing is to have a very strict checking procedure to pick up any mistakes or overlooked elements and good communication between the team on site and the designers so that any changes due to site conditions or ease of construction can be safely implemented. These things were obviously lacking in this case.

[@STARDRIVE]

It wasn´t deliberate, nor negligence. Still he gets 6 years... The politicians just got fired. A similar number of victims in traffic would be seen as an accident, where nobody goes to jail if not speeding or drunk. Jail for the civil engineer doesn´t make sense, with nobody checking his work.

[@annegrey3780]

so cool that you covered this! And holy shit Latvia I'm impressed by how intense you guys are about holding government accountable.

[@ImplodedAtom]

Wait, so public officials held their hands up to their part in the disaster, took the consequences, and there was important and lasting change as a result? Wow.

[@ricojes]

Makes Halley's comet fly-bys seem like a frequent occurrence.

[@saxboi1144]

Not only is it interesting when the stories seem to be relatively unheard of to everyone except those who experienced them, but it's also really interesting when the events are recent. With incidents such as this one, you would think we would know better by now.

[@SuznSunshine]

This is so similar to the Hyatt Regency walkway collapse. Making changes to a design without checking with an engineer first can lead to disaster. Many branches stapled together does not equal a tree.

[@nintendoeats]

Much like Hyatt Plaza, this reminds us of man's greatest enemy: structural change orders.

[@DyronBean]

Please don't ever change! This channel is golden!

[@sdraper2011]

Well done, as usual, FH. That memorial is elegant.

[@ricardslatvia]

As a Latvian person, i am delighted about this video! I remember this being all over the news when it happened, i was around 10 years old at the time, huge and devastating news all over Latvia!

[@tracid303]

Hey Fascinating Horror, have you considered covering the Granville train disaster in Sydney Australia? Was quite the horror story, would like to see you cover it. All the best mate!

[@geepuller1]

I've thought this for a while now. Hope he reads it.

[@KJAkk]

Check out Thunderbolt 1000 Siren Productions for train disasters. kzbin.infovideos

[@felicitybywater8012]

Yeah, Granville was horrific. I was a child when it played out on the evening news. Later, as an adult, I had to pass through Granville station on my way to work every morning.

[@tracid303]

@@felicitybywater8012 wow, that must have been a bit freaky. Was in NSW last December and we drove over the bridge that collapsed. Was an eerie feeling.

[@ishouldprobablybevacuuming7375]

Thank you for bringing these lesser known but ever so tragic events to light across the world - a service in both sharing the victim's stories and such events more broadly than they otherwise are and, maybe equally importantly in underlining the value of being honest, conscientious and qualified when charged with human life no matter what your occupation or position. I know you have so many requests, but could you please put the Lac-Megantic train derailment disaster on your list? It was a terrible (and avoidable) tragedy not too long ago that occurred up here in Canada (Quebec) in 2013, that killed dozens of citizens and burned down a large section of the town. It was absolutely horrific and the respect and factual detail which you give these tragic events is of great comfort. Thank you for everything you do.

[@ChristionGirl45]

A lot of these stories I've never heard about before, I'm glad I found this channel. I really enjoy these short documentary's! They may be short, but I learn so much in the short period of time! 😊

[@juliagreen423]

I passed through Zolitūde on my way to Riga by train many times without knowing of this tragedy 🥺 thank you for sharing this story... Love to and from Latvia 🇱🇻

[@RileyLulich]

Always nice to wake up to another well made video covering a little-known international case!

[@agnediciuniene9861]

Wow! Just wow! I live near Latvia (in Lithuania). Such detail about something that happened in another continent and in a small foreign country! Your detail is amazing.

[@NewsHistorian]

Remarkable how a national government actually takes responsivity for failures.

[@galdavonalgerri2101]

You are very right. I cannot imagine a single politician in my country (Germany) would resign under these circumstances.

[@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823]

Agree. But: "responsibility."

[@adde9506]

Well, it's a bit different. These government officials were the people who decided that previously existing safety measures were unimportant. Not proven to be overkill, just a good place to cut costs. That's a new one for me. They have no defense. If it wasn't for their obviously bad decision, someone would have questioned the math and the changes.

[@corivian]

You’re such a talented storyteller, never knew that was a thing

[@Louisa.Bowman23]

Cutting costs and Cutting corners. When will they learn that the safety of other peoples lives matter more🙁🙁

[@AwkwardKidAdventures]

Only after those people die and they get in trouble for it, unfortunately. I'd like to HOPE that would change someday, but judging by the precedent, I don't think it'll happen. :(

[@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823]

When they actually face serious jail time?

[@pocarski]

Thank you for covering this. I live very close to where the center used to be, and myself and many of my friends and family have visited it many times before the collapse. My brother nearly became one of the victims, he considered buying a snack before a sports game that day but chose not to because his salary got delayed. Thankfully nobody I know was affected by this, but this is still deeply important to me personally.

[@ExtremeSpeedMewtwo]

You should do the Harold Shipman Incident. Very interesting to delve into, plus it seems exactly like your type of video!

[@oulipolesceptique9449]

Thank you for the style of your presentation of these human tragedies. They are inherently interesting (people care about what happens to other people like themselves) but your measured approach and thorough explanations show empathy and understanding. You avoid sensationalizing. I look forward to every new video.

[@paulroberts3639]

A government that takes responsibility for its failings. If it wasn’t so cold, I’d move to Latvia just to see that.

[@RoboBoddicker]

I think it's pretty wild. Like imagine if the US President resigned because a mall collapsed in Milwaukee. I respect it though.

[@shannont5049]

Can you do the Sewol Ferry Tragedy? You’re always so respectful when speaking about these tragedies while highlighting the importance of the horrendous errors that cause them. I learned so much from that incident even though I live on the opposite end of the world.

[@cathystockton2721]

Thank you for another one. Another possible story: "The Children's Blizzard" of January 12, 1888, Minnesota

[@ShelBelSapphire]

oh hey i live there and dont think ive heard this one. id love to see this one covered here.

[@donnawoodman6249]

I have watched a documentary on this, so sad but with amazing heroes. ♥️

[@KeikiiMix]

Thank you for covering this. I can still vivdly remember watching the live coverage of the rescue efforts on TV and the death count rising as more time passed.

[@MarthaRoseMoore415]

I've now seen enough of these structural collapses to know that switching a long beam for multiple shorter beams, bolted together is A HUGE PROBLEM. Hoping that engineers out there are also taking note.

[@Burnintrees384]

This channel shows me over and over again why so many rules and protections are in place inside of buildings that hold large amounts of people. We learned this stuff the hard way.

[@paperizzy]

I can't imagine just ignoring fire alarms.

[@spacekadet83]

I work in a security monitoring centre, many times I have been told not to worry about smoke or fire alarms.

[@blackosprey2219]

Context, my friend. When the alarm is tripped constantly for no reason, people stop taking them seriously.

[@_kaleido]

@@blackosprey2219 Yeah, it basically becomes a “boy who cried wolf” situation

[@als3022]

Same issue in the mall I work at. Fire alarms make people pause, but if no other sound they ignore. And the employees tune it out

[@clray123]

A constant alarm is worse than no alarm at all. See handling of the pandemic.

[@theoriginalcraig]

I just did a 2300-mile road trip in a week. I binge watched the entire Fascinating Horror library. THANK YOU for the amazingly excellent content! And for keeping me awake during the longer, more boring bits of the drive. :-)

[@dishwashee]

saw someone else mention Estonia (the ship) at the end of a long comment. definitely worth covering! there’s been a lot of new developments recently. very strange accident and it hit Sweden really hard with hundreds of dead.

[@boogiemcsploogie]

This is the only channel I consistently click on the new videos for. Keep up the good work!

[@karaamundson3964]

Your content is consistently interesting and excellently-researched, and your reporting, easy to listen to. I'd never heard of this horrible event, simply because of my nationality. Your narratives are the only way I have learned about many failures of design, corner-cutting, and human venality and buck-passing...all over the world.

[@ktkat1949]

You really have to admire rescue people who go into these places to rescue total strangers. I don't think I could or would do it. Also there is NO such thing as not enough rescue staff. They should have taken all helped offered by other countries. Great video as always.

[@QT5656]

I'm glad Fascinating Horror has gone back to this piano based background music.

[@Cloud-je9wd]

Thank you for telling our story to the world. For us Latvians this is a very big deal. I’ve been watching your channel for a while and couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw this videos notification! Thanks!🇱🇻❤️

[@rogersheddy6414]

Do you know, with all of these shopping center collapses, I'm kind of thinking it shouldn't be really rocket science... So perhaps all of the engineers should get together in an International Convention and work up engineering standards for shopping centers. You know, something complete with tolerances that should never be violated so as to prevent any further deaths from various collapses and fires and all the rest. I remember that English one with the LSD smoking dripping plastic window panes, and I kind of think that they could actually compartmentalize things - - that is, this type of space is for shopping commons, this space is what the typical strip of sales booths will look like, here is how the security and sanitation structure will be put together... And, of course, the different types of roofs and how they will be built, depending on whether parking is permitted or they are going to try to put some sort of freaky Garden on top of it. An international-standard could be created using tolerances and Mathematics, and would be eminently provable. Besides which, almost any and every nation could abide by these things, unlike fishing treaties. Funny, I made my comment even before watching the video... And then we get to 2:20...

[@CinnastixChick]

I can't tell you how much I enjoy the music in the intro and outro of these videos. Iconic.

[@PatricioGarcia1973]

This reminds me of the supermarket disaster in Paraguay, where due to negligence and building construction and inspection got almost 200 people dead.

[@bluecollie55_movies25]

This is sad. I am in solidarity with the people of Latvia over this disaster. It is very similar the Sampoong Mall collapse in South Korea. Both tragedies had people at yet another moment of work or shopping in a big place of commercial retail, selling and shopping. Then very quickly all of the sudden the environment quickly crumbles and caves in, trapping many innocent human beings inside, with some getting killed.

[@wildcat1227]

*sighs deeply in disaster first responder* Why do governments always turn down help? Having fresh, well rested people come in is so important.

[@ferelith-NZ]

Ego.

[@ricojes]

Not wanting to ever be indebted frequently trumps sensible acceptance of assistance.

[@wildcat1227]

I appreciate the replies, although I definitely meant this rhetorically. I know the answer, its money. Isn't it always? Especially if they don't already have mutual aid agreements in place, the governments are gonna end up arguing over who is paying all those workers' wages (I've had my paycheck delayed by 6+ months by this nonsense) so they stick with employees and volunteers. 🤷‍♀️

[@TattThunder]

i love your videos cuz you dont overwhelm us with technical jargon, keeps it easier to follow