Rescuers search for girl buried after rockfall on German island (correction)

Dec 28, 2011, 10:45 GMT

Berlin - Rescuers were racing against time Tuesday morning to try to dig out a 10-year-old girl who was buried after chalk cliffs collapsed on her on the German island of Ruegen.

There had been no sign of life from the girl, who had been buried for 16 hours, rescue team leader Daniel Hartlieb told dpa Tuesday morning. Officials said they were giving up hope of finding her alive.

Rescue efforts were also being hampered by inclement weather and difficulty bringing heavy equipment to the beach, said workers. There were also concerns that further parts of the cliff might fall on the workers.

'We are keeping a constant eye on the cliff,' said Hartlieb, noting two large cracks on its sides. 'So far, there are no signs that they're getting bigger.'

The girl had been on a walk along the beach beneath the cliffs with her sister and mother Monday afternoon when part of the island's trademark cliffs collapsed on them.

The mother sustained severe injuries while the 14-year-old sister was only slightly injured. Both were hospitalized.

Rockslides and collapses of some parts of the cliffs on Germany's largest island are a frequent danger, made even more acute this year by heavy rains throughout the summer.