People trapped

Hotel on the Moselle collapsed – one dead

Part of a hotel collapsed in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate.

(Bild: glomex)

Part of a hotel collapsed on Tuesday night in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate. One woman and one man were killed (see video above). Several others were rescued from the rubble - including a two-year-old child and his mother.

Their condition was initially unclear. A total of eight people were trapped in the building by debris. In the early afternoon, it was reported that two people were still trapped. They were injured and the emergency services were in contact with them.

Around 250 helpers were on the scene, including special forces and a rescue dog team. Residents had called the emergency services. 

The collapsed hotel

(Bild: glomex)

Five people were able to escape unharmed from the collapsed hotel. The accident occurred at around 11 p.m. in the municipality of Kröv on the Moselle. Parts of the multi-storey building have collapsed, concrete rubble lies on the floor. It was initially unclear how this could have happened.

Basic structure from the 17th century
Construction work was still being carried out on the building on Tuesday. Only expert reports and investigations can show whether these are connected to the collapse. The basic structure of the building dates back to the 17th century.

According to the police, the salvage work is extremely difficult. "The entire structure is like a house of cards," said fire and disaster control inspector Jörg Teusch. Every step had to be carefully considered due to the unstable situation.

We have to proceed with caution, because the entire building structure is like a house of cards, if you pull the wrong card, the building is sure to collapse.

Brand- und Katastrophenschutzinspekteur Jörg Teusch

As there is an acute risk of collapse, the fire department cannot enter the building for the time being. The technical relief organization set up measuring points in front of the hotel to observe whether there is still movement or whether it can be entered. Neighboring buildings were evacuated because they could be damaged. 31 people were brought to safety.

Two people died in the accident late on Tuesday evening. Eight others were injured, some of them seriously. "Several people were able to leave the building on their own and are being cared for by the emergency services and emergency counselors," reported the police. The scene of the accident was investigated using drones. Heavy equipment was used to reach the buried victims.