Misfortune in Moselle town - After the hotel collapsed, the first victim was recovered.
After a partial collapse of a hotel in the Mosel town of Kröv, injured people, including a two-year-old child, had to wait hours under the rubble. In the morning, rescue workers were able to extricate four people, including the child. There is no initial information about their condition. The unstable condition of the building makes the work of the rescuers difficult.
What happened?
Parts of the hotel collapsed late on Tuesday evening - only five people were able to escape from the building. There is one fatality. Eight other people are trapped under the rubble, some with serious injuries. Rescue workers have made contact with some of them. The body has not yet been recovered. The cause of the partial collapse of the building was initially unclear. Residents had reportedly called the emergency services late on Tuesday evening.
One floor collapsed
According to the police, a floor of the building collapsed around 11 pm, with 14 people in the house at the time, five of whom were able to escape unharmed. 31 residents in the immediate vicinity had to be evacuated. The house has literally collapsed in on itself. Of the previous three floors, only two remain. "I'm just shocked," said one resident.
Police: "Extremely challenging operation"
At the scene, it can be seen that parts of the multi-story timber-framed building have collapsed. Concrete rubble lies on the ground. "Due to the damage, this is an extremely challenging operation, as the building can only be entered by the rescue workers with the utmost caution," a police statement said. Gregor Zehe, spokesman for the Technical Operations Center of the Bernkastel-Wittlich district, said: "The rescue is incredibly difficult." In the unstable situation, one must be careful about every step taken.
Around 250 helpers, including firefighters and the Technical Relief Agency (THW), are on site - including special forces and a search and rescue dog unit. The site is also being examined with drones.
Kröv is located on the Middle Mosel in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district of Rhineland-Palatinate. Especially in the summer, many tourists visit the region, which is known for its wine production.
The police are carefully navigating the unstable building due to the collapsed floor, making the rescue operation extremely challenging. With the help of over 250 responders, including firefighters and the Technical Relief Agency (THW), they're doing their best to reach the eight trapped individuals and a fatality, who are reportedly near the collapsed floor.
