- Four rescued from collapsed hotel <unk> two dead
In the collapsed hotel on the Mosel, rescue forces have discovered another fatality. This brings the number of lives lost in the rubble to two. Four other individuals were rescued by the emergency services. Among the buried is also a child, as announced by the local police in Trier on Wednesday. Partial contact has been established with those trapped, as stated in a joint statement by the Bernkastel-Wittlich district administration and the police.
Around 250 emergency services personnel, including special units, a search and rescue dog unit, and drone units, were on site attempting to rescue those trapped.
The cause of the incident remains unclear at this time, with neither the police nor the fire department providing any information. Residents reportedly called the emergency services late on Tuesday evening. Prior to this, the "SWR" had reported on the incident in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district.
Hotel in Kröv remains at risk of collapse
According to police, one floor of the building in the Verbandsgemeinde Traben-Trarbach collapsed on Tuesday evening around 11 pm. At the time, there were 14 people in the building, five of whom were able to escape unharmed and are now being cared for by emergency services and crisis counselors.
Images from the scene show parts of the multi-story timber-framed building collapsed, with concrete debris scattered on the ground. The house appears to have caved in on itself, with only two floors remaining from the original three. "I'm simply shocked," said a local resident.
Neighboring houses evacuated
According to the "SWR" report, the fire department was initially unable to enter the building due to the immediate risk of collapse. The operation is challenging, as the building can only be entered with great caution by emergency services. Gregor Zehe, spokesman for the Technical Operations Center of the Bernkastel-Wittlich district, said: "The rescue operation is incredibly difficult." Given the unstable situation, one must be precise about each step taken.
The Technical Relief Agency has installed measurement points in front of the hotel to monitor any movement in the building or the possibility of entering it. Due to concerns that further parts of the hotel may collapse and cause damage to adjacent buildings, neighboring houses are being evacuated. 31 residents have had to leave their homes.
The fire department, like other emergency services, has not provided any information about the cause of the incident in Germany. The evacuated residents are temporarily staying in emergency shelters nearby due to concerns about the stability of the neighboring houses.
