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Topics: World News, Shopping
Joe Yates
At least three people have confirmed to have died after the roof of a popular shopping mall in Peru collapsed on top of a food court.
At around 8.40pm local time yesterday (February 21), the roof of the Real Plaza shopping center in the northwestern coastal city of Trujillo gave way, leaving three dead and 79 injured, according to authorities.
The Peruvian Government's Department of Interior Ministry posted a video of the aftermath on Twitter, writing: “This is the exact moment police and firefighters work on the rescue of victims trapped under the debris.
“More than 200 police officers and firefighters are carrying out search and rescue operations. Up to now three people have died.”
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One part detailed the horrific scenes in which a police officer can be heard shouting: "Daniela, can you hear me?"
After appearing to hear a response from the woman, the officer adds: "Daniela, we’re going to help you, we’re going to get you out of there."
While in another video posted online, a man can be heard shouting 'ayuda' over and over again, which is the Spanish for 'help', with his voice muffled by twisted metal and concrete.
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Of the three people who died, firefighters responding to the incident said they were two men and a woman, however, a regional health chief later mentioned that one of the victims was a minor.
According to witnesses, a 'very loud noise' was heard before a 'cloud of dust' came raining down once the roof collapsed.
In a video filmed by one of the witnesses, he said: "This is happening now. I’m going to leave the area now because this is serious."
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Real Plaza, which has a chain of shopping centers across 13 cities in Peru, said in a statement: "At Real Plaza, we deeply regret what happened at our shopping center in Trujillo and express our sincerest condolences to the families of the deceased.
“Likewise, we express our absolute support to all their families and to the injured due to this unfortunate accident.
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“In close coordination with the authorities, we continue to work on rescue efforts and provide all necessary support to those affected and to the investigations that will determine the cause of the accident.
“Additionally, as a sign of mourning and solidarity with the victims, we have decided to keep all our shopping centres closed nationwide today, Saturday, February 22.
“We are committed to keeping families and the community informed, reaffirming our total willingness to assist those who need help at this difficult time.”
According to Metro, an investigation is currently underway to determine the cause of the collapse.