- Hotel demolition to remove bodies
Following the hotel collapse in Kröv, demolition work to recover the second body has begun. A wrecking excavator with an extended arm started at the gable side of the building, where police say the greatest risk of collapse remains. The heavy machinery from a specialized company will then proceed step by step.
The time when the man's body will be recovered is still uncertain, a police spokeswoman said. The demolition is necessary because rescue workers cannot safely retrieve the body otherwise. It is located in the most at-risk area. The man is believed to be the hotel owner.
The accident site was cordoned off within a 150-meter radius for the demolition work. Residents were advised to keep windows and doors closed due to expected increased dust levels, police said. An asbestos contamination cannot be ruled out.
On Tuesday evening, a complete floor of the hotel in the Mosel town collapsed. Two people died, and one woman's body has already been recovered. Seven injured people were rescued from the rubble after several hours.
An expert had visited the site on Wednesday and recommended demolition to safely retrieve the bodies. The police reported that the building still poses a high risk of collapse.
The following statement was made by the police: "An expert had visited the site on Wednesday and recommended demolition to safely retrieve the bodies." The following is added: "The demolition work has commenced to recover the second body."
