Remembrance in Kröv: Survivors remember tragic hotel collapse

Remembrance in Kröv: Survivors remember tragic hotel collapse

On January 11, 2025, a memorial event for the victims of the devastating hotel fall took place in the Kröv wine region, which occurred on August 6, 2024. Two people died in this tragedy, including a 64-year-old woman and the 59-year-old hotel operator. Seven other people survived the collapse, with some of them captured under the rubble for more than 20 hours. Survivors were able to come together at the community's New Year's reception in order to express their grief as well as to honor the courageous use of the rescue workers. At that time, around 250 emergency services, including firefighters and members of the German Red Cross, were deployed over several days to rescue the spilled and to cope with the situation, such as Tagesschau.de reported.

One of the survivors, Edi Hoefnagel-Visser from the Netherlands, returned to the place of the accident with her husband Mark and her two-year-old son. During the accident, the family was locked under the rubble. Mark suffered serious injuries and now uses crutches due to nerve damage. Edi, who is now in the seventh month pregnant, stated that she met her return to Kröv with mixed feelings and put them in emotional difficulties when she arrived. It was the first time that the survivors had direct contact with the emergency services they saved at the time. This led to warm moments, especially when Edi, her rescuer, Christoph Reuter from the Trier professional fire brigade, met how sueddeutsche.de executed.

a sign of gratitude

The mayor Desire Betz emphasized the importance of gratitude for the emergency services at the event. The excellent performance that were performed day and night was recognized by the present around 100 emergency services. Prime Minister Alexander Schweitzer paid tribute to the commitment of all helpers and awarded the head of operations Jörg Teusch the Golden Fire Brigade Corporation for his outstanding achievements. This honor symbolically stands for the tireless efforts that the emergency services were exposed to during the rescue operation, and for the emotional and physical challenges that could not be underestimated, which they had to experience during their work Tagesschau.de .

Despite the strong emotional events, there were also moments of joy. The New Year's reception offered those affected and the helpers the opportunity to exchange ideas and to discuss the course of their healing processes. Edi Hoefnagel-Visser reported that she recently started the emotional processing of the accident and that the exchange with other survivors and rescue workers plays an important role in order to process what has happened sueddeutsche.de .

The search for answers

An expert opinion on the cause of the accident is expected in March 2025. The investigation has not yet been completed, and it remains unclear what has led to the collapse of the hotel's entire floor. While the community around Kröv holds together in this difficult process, attention is pointed to the arising questions about security and prevention. It is particularly discussed about the psychological stress after missions, as numerous studies show, and it is important to address the emotional and physical requirements placed on the rescue workers [rule_4_plain].