Buried under the paper shelf

One day before the collapse of the high rack system, a rack had been damaged over a length of ten metres and collapsed. As a result, about 25 tonnes of paper, wooden pallets and steel parts had been lying at different heights and wedged with other shelves in an aisle. Clearing the accident site had been very difficult, so the THW was supposed to take over the salvage. However, when two THW workers were inspecting the damage, the shelf next to it collapsed. In a kind of chain reaction, all 16 shelves in the hall with 5,141 tonnes of paper collapsed.

Five people were buried in the accident, three of them suffered injuries but could be rescued. 200 helpers from all over the region then spent two days searching for the two others who were trapped. But the two men could only be recovered dead.