According to the police, 14 people were in the building when a floor collapsed on Tuesday evening in the resort town of Kröv by the Mosel River. A number of employees and guests were able to get out. But the police had contact with people who were trapped in the collapsed parts of the building during the night, writes Süddeutsche Zeitung.
Four people, including a two-year-old and their parents, were rescued on Wednesday morning with unclear injuries.
Around 250 rescue workers are working on the operation, according to the news agency AP. Dogs have been deployed in the search, but the rescue teams are proceeding very cautiously due to the risk of collapse. Authorities have evacuated about 30 people from the area around the building.
It is still unclear what caused the building to collapse.