At least two people killed in German hotel collapse
Late on Tuesday night, a hotel building in Kröv, Germany, partially collapsed, killing two people and trapping dozens more under the debris.
More than 200 members of the emergency services are on the scene as rescue attempts continue.
The hotel, which was close to the banks of the Moselle River, had its roof fall on Tuesday at roughly 23:00 local time (21:00 GMT), smashing windows as the building’s upper story fell onto the lower one.
Local police report that at the time of the event, fourteen people were inside the motel. Among those rescued on Wednesday morning was a young Dutch family that was touring the area.
Late on Tuesday night, five people managed to escape the building safely, but nine others were buried beneath the debris.
Dutch media reported that a 23-year-old woman from Urk and her infant son were rescued early on Wednesday morning and taken to hospital. The woman’s husband, aged 26, was rescued later the same day and his condition is not yet known.
Some 250 emergency services personnel were deployed to support rescue efforts, including firefighters, police, rescue dog teams and medics.
Two people are still buried under the rubble, but emergency services have said they are still in contact with them.
As reported by local broadcaster SWR, the damaged building in western Germany dates back to the 1600s. It experienced significant renovations back in the 1980s, when an additional floor was added to the now two-storey hotel.
The Moselle valley is a popular tourist destination, famed for its vineyards and picturesque old towns.
One hotel guest quoted by SWR said he was in the toilet when the floor beneath him collapsed.
Nearby residents have been told to evacuate the area given concerns that the hotel building could collapse further.
