Shopping mall roof collapse in northern Peru leaves 6 dead, 78 injured

LIMA, Peru (AP) — The collapse of a food court roof at a shopping mall in northwestern Peru killed six people and left at least 78 others injured, the defense minister said Saturday.

The heavy iron roof at the Real Plaza Trujillo shopping mall, a city in the La Libertad region, fell Friday night on dozens of people who were at the site.

Defense Minister Walter Astudillo said at a news conference that according to the information provided by local firefighters in La Libertad, five people died on site and a sixth at a hospital after the collapse.

Astudillo also said that 30 injured people have already been discharged and 48 remain hospitalized. Three remained in critical condition. The minister expressed his condolences to the victims’ families.

Luis Roncal, head of the local fire department, confirmed that they “did not find any signs of life” as they monitored with rescue dogs, but that the search for survivors would continue.

Meanwhile, the mayor of Trujillo, Mario Reyna, announced the closure of the shopping center “due to imminent risk” and said his government wanted to inspect other centers.