Two dead and others trapped as German hotel collapses

Platform X

A hotel in Germany's picturesque Moselle wine valley collapsed overnight, killing two people, as rescuers worked urgently to extricate the two remaining guests who were trapped in the rubble.

One woman's body was recovered but emergency responders have not yet been able to reach the body of the second victim, a male, rescue operation chief Joerg Teusch told reporters.

Five people have been rescued, none with serious injuries, Teusch said, in a complex operation as the two-storey building was unstable after its upper floor caved in late on Tuesday.

The two people still stuck in the building, which was built in the 17th century and renovated in the 1980s, have serious injuries but are in touch with rescuers, according to police.

Among those rescued was a two-year-old child, who was not injured, and the child's parents, with whom rescuers were able to establish contact overnight.

"I have never been so happy to see a stranger's child," Teusch said, describing the tearful moment when his team carried the toddler from the damaged building.

The cause of the accident was not yet clear. Investigations would begin once the rescue operation was complete, state prosecutor Peter Fritzen said.

More from International news

  • Israeli strikes kill 15 in Gaza, minister says no deal to halt attacks

    Israeli airstrikes hit Gaza for a second straight day on Sunday, killing at least 15 Palestinians, medics said, despite US President Donald Trump's announcement of a breakthrough in efforts to implement last year's Gaza ceasefire agreement.

  • Death toll from migrant rush into Ceuta rises to 72

    The death toll from Thursday's mass rush into Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta from Morocco reached at least 72 on Sunday as five more bodies were found along Ceuta's coast, officials said.

  • Ukrainian drones kill eight in Russia

    Ukrainian drone strikes killed at least eight people in Russian regions overnight and on Sunday, hitting targets including a warehouse belonging to Wildberries, Russia's largest online retailer, regional officials said.

  • Two helicopters collide as Greece battles wildfires

    Two firefighting helicopters collided in Greece while helping to control a huge wildfire on Sunday that has destroyed more than 100 homes northwest of Athens, while a fresh blaze forced evacuations on the popular tourist island of Kefalonia..

News