Intruders Enter Historic Mining Tunnel in Sprockhövel, Prompting Search Efforts

Two men broke into the 18th-century Stock and Scherenberger Erbstollen, sparking police and firefighter searches due to potential safety concerns.

Two unidentified men were caught on surveillance cameras breaking into the Stock and Scherenberger Erbstollen, a historic mining tunnel in Sprockhövel, Germany, early Saturday morning.
The men broke through a locked metal gate, damaging chains and padlocks, to access the 700-meter-long visitor tunnel established in 1746.
Authorities initiated a search within the tunnel after safety concerns were raised, as the area contains low-oxygen zones and potential hazards if the main path is left.
Initial search efforts by police and firefighters have not located the intruders, though water movement in the tunnel suggests they may still be inside.
The police are investigating the incident as trespassing, and no damage or theft within the visitor site has been reported so far.