It is not the first time that a wave rushes through the Höllentalklamm on the Zugspitze after heavy rain – but this time it costs human lives: a woman is dead, another person is missing.
Grainau – After the tidal wave in the Höllentalklamm on the Zugspitze and the discovery of a woman’s corpse, the fate of a second missing person is still unclear.
The rescue workers want to decide on Wednesday how things will continue. They stopped searching late Tuesday afternoon. A woman was previously rescued from the water, dead. It was initially unclear who the woman was – and who was still missing.
Around 150 helpers
“Despite the great efforts of many volunteer mountain and water rescuers, the second missing person could not be found,” explained the operations manager of the Bavarian Red Cross, Hans Steinbrecher. “All relevant and conceivable areas were searched several times.” Around 150 helpers were on duty; a helicopter and several drones had supported the search near Grainau in the Garmisch-Partenkirchen district from the air. “Unfortunately, all conceivable measures were unsuccessful.”
If the person is still in the gorge, given the time that has passed since the accident and the large amounts of water, there is little hope of finding them alive, the police said on Tuesday evening.
The tidal wave tore the bridge with it
Eight people were rescued from the gorge near Grainau in the Garmisch-Partenkirchen district on Monday evening after the accident. According to eyewitnesses, the two last missing had been standing on a wooden bridge over the Hammersbach at the upper exit of the gorge when the wave came. The bridge was therefore flooded or partly torn away.
The Munich II public prosecutor’s office initiated preliminary investigations. It will be checked whether a crime is in the room, such as negligent homicide, said a spokeswoman. So far, however, the reviews have not been directed against specific persons. dpa
