8 People Dead in Building Blaze in Latvian Capital Riga

8 People Dead in Building Blaze in Latvian Capital Riga
Firefighters and rescuers from the  Latvian State Fire and Rescue Service work at the site of a fire, in Riga, Latvia, on April 28, 2021. Kaspars Krafts/F64 Photo agency via AP
The Associated Press
Updated:

HELSINKI—Eight people, some of them foreign nationals, died early Wednesday in a fire at a building housing a hostel that authorities said was operating illegally in the center of Riga, the Latvian capital.

Firefighters and rescuers from the Latvian State Fire and Rescue Service said they were alerted to the scene on Merkel street in the heart of Riga at about 5 a.m.