Apartment building collapses in eastern Germany; 3 unaccounted for

An apartment building collapsed in eastern German, leaving three people unaccounted for, according to police. Two others who were initially missing have since been found unharmed.

The collapse happened at about 5:30 p.m. local time on Monday in Görlitz, a city near Germany’s border with Poland, according to police. Multiple emergency calls were made after the multi-story building completely collapsed.

Police initially said five people could not be reached, but emergency services later found two of them. They were unharmed and were not inside the building when it collapsed.

The search for other possible victims was continuing Monday evening, with specialists from the fire department, emergency medical services and police working at the scene.

Nearby buildings were evacuated as a precaution, and part of the street was closed while rescue crews worked. Police asked people to stay away from the restricted area and follow instructions from emergency personnel.

The cause of the collapse was not immediately known. Police said criminal investigators will look into the cause after rescue operations are completed.