Two Dutch killed in gravel excavation accident just across German border

Four people were buried in an avalanche of gravel in an industrial accident on a German gravel excavation site just across the Dutch-German border near Dinxperlo on Tuesday. A Dutch and a German man could be rescued. Two Dutch are still missing and believed dead, NOS reports.

The accident happened at a gravel excavation site in Isselburg-Anholt. The emergency services will continue searching for the two missing men on Wednesday, according to Omroep Gelderland. The search had to be halted on Tuesday night because the gravel is unstable and the darkness made the search impossible. The emergency services know approximately where the victims are, according to the broadcaster.

"It is a tragic accident", spokesperson Frank Rentmeister of the police in Borken, Germany said to Omroep Gelderland on Tuesday. "Around 12:50 p.m. four people were working in the gravel mountain. The gravel started to slide and buried the four underneath. Two fortunately only partly, they could be rescued. Of the others we must assume that they have died. We're looking for the bodies."

At least one Dutch company - Netterden Zand en Grind BV from Gendringen - is involved in excavation at the site. So far the company hasn't commented on what happened.