Joe McConnell
Two people have died in Kröv, Germany, after a hotel partially collapsed late on Tuesday evening, while several others remain trapped under the rubble.
Rescue operations are underway with over 200 emergency workers on site.
Located near the banks of the Moselle River, the roof of the hotel collapsed around 11pm local time (2100 GMT) on Tuesday, shattering windows and causing the upper floor of the building to collapse onto the lower one.
Fourteen people were inside the hotel at the time of the incident, according to local police. A young Dutch family visiting the region was among those rescued Wednesday morning.
Late Tuesday night, five people managed to escape the building without injury, but nine others remained trapped under the rubble.
At a press conference on Wednesday, fire inspector Jörg Teusch identified the two people killed: a man and a woman, who died during the night when the building collapsed.
Dutch media reported that a 23-year-old woman from Urk and her baby were rescued early Wednesday morning and taken to hospital. The woman’s 26-year-old husband was rescued later that day and his condition is not yet known.
Around 250 emergency services personnel, including firefighters, police, rescue dog teams and doctors, were deployed to support the rescue operation.
Two people are still buried under the rubble, but emergency services said they were still in contact with them.
As local broadcaster SWR reported, the damaged building in western Germany dates back to the 1600s. It underwent major renovations in the 1980s, when a floor was added to the now two-story hotel.
The Moselle Valley is a popular tourist destination, famous for its vineyards and picturesque old towns.
A hotel guest quoted by SWR said he was in the bathroom when the floor beneath him collapsed.
Nearby residents have been asked to evacuate the area as there are fears the hotel building could collapse further.
