6 people missing, feared dead after fire at rural guesthouse in southern Germany

Firefighters try to extinguish a fire in the Bavarian town of Schneizlreuth , Germany, early Saturday May 23, 2015. Police in Germany say six people are missing after a fire at a guesthouse in Bavaria. In a statement Saturday, police said the fire broke out overnight in a converted farmhouse in the town of Schneizlreuth, southeast of Munich near the border with Austria. Of the 47 people staying at the guesthouse, 41 were able to flee. ( Ferdinand Farthofer/aktivnews/dpa via AP) (The Associated Press)

BERLIN – Six people are missing and feared dead after a fire at a guesthouse in southern Germany, police said Saturday.

The men were on a company trip with dozens of colleagues when the fire broke out overnight in a converted farmhouse in Schneizlreuth, southeast of Munich. The town, near the border with Austria, is a popular tourist destination in the Bavarian Alps.

Of the 47 people staying at the place, 41 were able to flee, said police spokesman Juergen Thalmeier. Seven of them had to be hospitalized.

"There's no indication that the six missing persons could have been anywhere else, so we have to assume that they are still inside," he said.

Firefighters and investigators were able to enter the building in the morning and hope to confirm the men's fate later Saturday, he said.