Wuppertal car wash closed due to imminent rockfall
A self-service car wash in the German city of Wuppertal car wash had to be closed last week due to the danger of rockfall. The authorities have set up a protective wall to avert the danger.
Disaster struck mid December in Germany, where the Best Carwash Wuppertal suddenly had to be closed because a boulder was threatening to fall from the rock face at the rear of the car wash.
The car wash, which is run and owned by the Petig family, sits at the foot of a steep slope. In an operation which lasted several hours, the fire department and local security officers erected a protective wall from containers. These were additionally weighted down with water containers.
Protective wall
“With the containers’ own weight and the additional water containers installed, we now have a weight of around eight tons per container. And we have set up two containers as a wall,” explains Marcel Betz from the Wuppertal fire department.
It’s not the first time a boulder comes down from above. In the past, some rocks came down and fell into one of the ponds at the back of the wash park. The operator removed it without further ado and there was no further disruption.
This time it might take longer and have bigger consequences for the carwash. According to the city, the steep slope is now unstable. Persistent rain and frost in recent weeks are to blame.
It is not yet clear when Best Carwash Wuppertal will be reopened. Experts will examine the stability more closely in the coming weeks.
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