Roof of ice rink collapses, killing at least 5 people

Authorities fear they'll find more dead in the rubble.
BAD REICHENHALL, Germany (AP) -- An ice rink roof collapsed onto dozens of skaters after heavy snowfall in the Bavarian Alps on Monday, killing at least five people, including four children, and trapping other victims between piles of debris and the frozen surface of the rink.
Parents called out their children's names, and rescue workers -- some arriving from neighboring Austria -- swarmed around the building in the town of Bad Reichenhall. Doctors set up a makeshift infirmary at a sports hall next door, where injured people lay with intravenous hookups, and fire crews worked to shovel away debris.
A helicopter kept a floodlight on the scene as rescue workers scrambled to find victims and prop up what remained of the roof. With the structure stabilized, rescuers with dogs went into the building a little before midnight.
Confirmed dead
Five people were confirmed dead -- two boys ages 12 and 13, a 7-year-old girl, and an 8-year-old girl killed along with her mother -- and as many as 35 were injured, police director Hubertus Andrae said.
Andrae said after midnight that more people found inside were believed to be dead, but that they were buried under debris and could not immediately be recovered. He did not give further details, and police spokesman Franz Sommerauer would not say early today how many had been seen.
Sommerauer said rescue crews had gained access to around half the hall, but still had not reached the suspected victims. They were trying to remove the largest chunks of debris with the help of six cranes.
By late evening, a 6-year-old girl had been rescued with no significant injuries, and officials were still hopeful of finding more survivors.
"There is still a chance that we can rescue living people from the rubble," said Rudi Zeis, a local fire chief.
Police said the death toll was nonetheless expected to rise as the search continued through the night.
By late evening, a 6-year-old girl had been rescued with no significant injuries, and officials were still hopeful of finding more survivors.
"There is still a chance that we can rescue living people from the rubble," said Rudi Zeis, a local fire chief.
Police said the death toll was nonetheless expected to rise as the search continued through the night.
Fears of freezing
Peter Volk, a spokesman for the Malteser relief group, said rescuers feared those buried under the debris would have been pressed against the cold surface of the rink in freezing weather, he said.
"Our rescue workers are expecting not just seriously injured people, but also people suffering from hypothermia," Volk said.
Snow choked local streets and area roads, snarling traffic and delaying badly needed equipment.
Fire service officials said the flat roof appeared to have collapsed under the weight of snow. Local officials said there was a roughly 8-inch layer of snow on the roof of the building, which was built in the 1970s.
Risk known?
An official with a local ice hockey club said town authorities told him a half-hour before the 4 p.m. accident that a practice session for youth players was canceled because the rink was at risk of collapsing.
However, "apparently the public skating was still continuing," Thomas Rumpeltes told The Associated Press.
Mayor Wolfgang Heitmeier said the weight of the snow had been measured at midday and that it was well below the point at which the hall would have to be closed.
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