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Germany: Excavator accident leaves 2 dead, several injured

June 25, 2023

The accident occurred at a camp for fathers and children in the northern state of Lower Saxony. A fire brigade spokesperson said a group had been riding in a box carried by the excavator "for fun."

https://p.dw.com/p/4T1jJ
Police stand next to excavator and fire brigade truck
A torn hydraulic hose on the vehicle was a suspected reason for the deadly accidentImage: Polizei Harburg/dpa/picture alliance

Two people were killed in an excavator accident in northern Germany, regional police said on Sunday.

What do we know so far?

A child and an adult were killed in the incident, and 10 other children were injured, some of them severely, police in the German state of Lower Saxony said.

Those injured were aged 4 to 10, according to police.

The accident occurred on Saturday at a camp for fathers and children in the Harburg district of Lower Saxony.

A police spokesperson said the group was riding in a box that was being carried along a dirt road by the excavator.

The box detached and fell from the excavator after a hydraulic hose on the vehicle tore, the spokesperson said.

Personnel deployed in Harburg, in northern Germany, where the accident occurred
German regional authorities are looking into the accidentImage: Philipp Schulze/dpa/picture alliance

Some of the people were then trapped underneath the box.

A fire brigade spokesperson said the group was riding over the road "for fun."

Dozens of emergency personnel respond, excavator seized for police probe

Police said 60 rescue workers and 30 police officers came to the scene.

The excavator was seized for police investigations.

The 44-year-old driver of the excavator is being investigated for manslaughter and whether he was under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

sdi/wd (AFP, dpa)