Two dead and several trapped after hotel collapses in Germany

By Claudia Otto and Catherine Nicholls, CNN

(CNN) — Two people have died and others remain trapped after a hotel collapsed in a village in the heart of western Germany’s Mosel wine-growing region.

There were 14 people in the building in Kröv at the time of the collapse, a fire department spokesperson told CNN Wednesday.

A man and a woman have died, and three people are trapped, Trier Police said at a news conference Wednesday. One of the bodies had not yet been recovered.

The trapped people have been able to contact police by phone, so authorities know where in the building they are located and what condition they are in.

While the building is still partially intact, it is moving by 4 millimeters (0.16 inches) an hour, so rescue operations are proving to be difficult.

As the ceilings of the hotel have collapsed, police said, a core drill is being used from above to try and access the people in the rubble.

Around 250 firefighters, paramedics, police and technical relief workers, including special forces, rescue dog teams and drone units, are on site.

Police said the cause of the collapse is not yet known.

The lower part of the building dates from the 17th century, while the two upper floors were added in 1980, according to Trier Police.

Construction was being carried out on the building until Tuesday, police said, adding that three houses in the immediate vicinity of the hotel have been evacuated.

This is a breaking story and has been updated.

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