Four children fell about eight meters through the roof of a gymnasium and were seriously injured. The 13-year-olds climbed onto the roof in Remshalden, northeast of Stuttgart, late on Saturday evening and probably had an accident while playing. The skylight of the hall collapsed when the teenagers entered it, the police said.

A police spokesman said on Sunday that it must now be checked whether the building may have security gaps. A day after the serious accident, there was no further information about the 13-year-old's health. “The investigation is ongoing,” an official said simply. According to the information, the children could not initially be interviewed.

As the spokesman said, one of the injured children called for help in the neighborhood after the accident. A neighbor who lived next to the gym then called the emergency services. It was initially unclear how the teenagers got onto the roof.

Three rescue helicopters, seven fire engines and 13 rescue service vehicles were involved in the operation at dusk. The head of the rescue service of the German Red Cross in the Rems-Murr district, Marco Flittner, said on the spot that the children had fallen into the interior of the sports hall.

According to Flittner, the rescuers were under time pressure: "Speed ​​was required here so that the rescue helicopters could all leave in daylight." The emergency call to the police was received on Saturday evening at 8:21 p.m.

Remshalden is about 20 kilometers from Stuttgart and, according to 2021 data, around 14,500 people live in the town. The sports hall in which the young people had an accident is located in the Grunbach district.