Landslide buries part of hotel in Austria's Alps

A landslide caused part of a hotel in Austria's Alps to collapse early Monday, burying a dormitory for employees in the rubble, authorities said. Six people were injured, one seriously.

Photo: Landslide buries part of hotel in Austria's Alps

The landslide happened just after 5 a.m. (0300 GMT) in Obertauern in Austria's mountainous Salzburg province, the Austria Press Agency said, quoting local officials on the scene.

It said the pressure caused a reinforced concrete retaining wall that had been built in 2003 to give way, knocking down the outer wall of the dormitory where the employees slept and burying them in debris.

Rescuers dug the victims out of the rubble, and they were rushed to a hospital for treatment.

APA said doctors indicated that five were lightly hurt but that a sixth victim suffered critical injuries. The workers were hurt by falling bricks, authorities said.

About 30 firefighters and another two dozen emergency medical personnel were on the scene, the reports said.