Major Incident in Bonn: Facade Collapse Injures Two Seriously
Bonn, North Rhine-Westphalia - A significant incident occurred in Bonn on Monday afternoon, resulting in the serious injury of two individuals. Debris from a building facade fell dramatically onto the sidewalk, striking the asphalt with force. Emergency services, including police, firefighters, and THW (Technisches Hilfswerk), responded promptly to the scene.
According to initial reports, sections of a facade on Kölnstraße collapsed. The victims, a man and a woman, were walking nearby when the heavy concrete pieces fell. Eyewitness accounts describe the debris as large and weighty, impacting both the sidewalk and the street.
Upon arrival, emergency responders found that the police had already moved the injured individuals to safety, facilitating immediate medical attention. The incident occurred around 4:20 PM when parts of the facade detached from the third floor of a mixed-use residential and commercial building. The firefighters' incident commander noted that the police played a crucial role in ensuring the victims were out of harm's way before medical personnel arrived.
Two ambulances and two emergency physicians were dispatched to provide care, and both victims were subsequently transported to hospitals, where they are reported to be in stable condition and not facing life-threatening injuries.
The Bonn fire department later confirmed that the facade collapse involved elements from a building that is approximately 120 years old. The cause of the incident was determined to be long-term water infiltration behind a lead covering of the rain gutter, which led to moisture damage in various facade and structural components.
In response to the situation, authorities cordoned off the area to ensure public safety. By around 7 PM, the fire department announced that the immediate danger had been mitigated.