Raids in Germany gather evidence on mine-pit collapse during floods

Cologne (dpa) – Investigators have carried out several raids in the town of Erftstadt in western Germany in connection with a landslide at a mine during last summer’s deadly flooding.

More than 140 police officers searched more than 20 office and residential addresses, prosecutors said on Tuesday.

The raids were directed against the owner and lessor of the open-cast mine in Erftstadt, five suspects at the mine operator and four suspects in the Arnsberg district government.

During the night of July 16, 2021, the ground near a gravel pit on the Erft river in the borough of Blessem in Erftstadt near Cologne gave way after heavy rain had flooded the pit.

At the time, storms with unusually heavy rainfall had triggered a flood disaster in North Rhine Westphalia and Rhineland Palatinate.

Several buildings at the gravel pit in Erftstadt were swept away. There were no fatalities at the site, however the image of the huge crater is clearly etched into the memories of many Germans.

The public prosecutor’s office is now investigating on suspicion of negligence and violations of the Federal Mining Act.

According to the investigations so far, there might not have been a properly constructed flood protection embankment at the pit, and the embankments may have been too steep.

“There is a suspicion that the accused could and should have recognized the conditions at the flood protection embankment and the pit embankments due to their professional involvement with the gravel pit and should have taken remedial action,” Cologne’s Senior Public Prosecutor Ulrich Bremer said.

On Tuesday, premises in Bergheim, Erftstadt, Cologne and Dortmund were searched. The operating company is based in Bergheim near Cologne. The searches also targeted consulting and civil engineering companies who are not under suspicion, “in order to find and secure documents relevant to the proceedings.”