Hotel collapse in Germany leaves two dead, others trapped under rubble

Two people were killed in Kröv, Germany, after a hotel partially collapsed on Tuesday night, while several others remain trapped under the rubble.

Rescue operations are underway with more than 200 emergency services personnel on scene.

Located near the banks of the Moselle River, the hotel’s roof collapsed around 11pm local time (2100 GMT) on Tuesday, shattering windows as the top floor of the building collapsed onto the floor below.

Fourteen people were inside the hotel at the time, according to local police. A young Dutch family visiting the area was among those rescued Wednesday morning.

Five people were able to escape the building unharmed on Tuesday evening, but nine others were trapped under the rubble.

At a press conference on Wednesday, fire inspector Jörg Teusch identified the two people killed as a man and a woman, who he said died during the night as a direct result of the building collapse.

Dutch media reported that a 23-year-old woman from Urk and her toddler son were rescued early Wednesday morning and taken to hospital. The woman’s 26-year-old husband was rescued later in the day and his condition is not yet known.

Some 250 emergency services personnel have been deployed to support the rescue efforts, including firefighters, police, rescue dog teams and medics.

Two people are still buried under the rubble, but emergency services said they were still in contact with them.

According to local television station SWR, the damaged building in western Germany dates back to the 1600s. It underwent extensive renovations in the 1980s, when an extra floor was added to the now two-storey 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 toilet when the floor beneath him collapsed.

Residents in the area were ordered to evacuate the area due to fears of further collapse of the hotel building.