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Death toll from German accident rises to 14

Germany - Hopes fade for missing woman
Germany - Hopes fade for missing woman

Rescue workers in the southern German town of Bad Reichenhall have recovered the body of a teenage girl from the wreckage of the ice skating rink whose roof collapsed on Monday.

The body of the girl, aged between 12 and 16, brings the death toll from the disaster to 14.

A woman is still missing, however, officials say it is unlikely she will be found alive. The final death toll is expected to be 15. Most of the victims were children.

Two other bodies, that of a boy and a girl, were recovered earlier.

The 200-strong rescue operation in the Bavarian Alps spa resort has been hampered by continuing heavy snowfall and by the instability of the wreckage, which has threatened to collapse further.

Officials say that about 40% of the surface of the ice skating rink has now been cleared and sniffer dogs have also been brought in to help in the search.

The roof of the ice rink collapsed on Monday afternoon with around 50 people inside, including many children.

In Berlin, Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed her condolences to grieving families and said the federal government would do everything in its power to help the Bavarian state authorities cope with the disaster.