He sent his sympathies and thoughts after "the tragic accident which cost the lives mostly of children," in a message transmitted Tuesday to Munich's Archbishop Friedrich Wetter.

He said he was praying for the victims and their families and a swift recovery for those injured.

Police said Wednesday they believed 15 people, 11 of them children, had died when the roof of the ice rink caved in, possibly because of the weight of snow, in the resort town of Bad Reichenhall in the German Alps on Monday.

Thirty-four people were injured when the roof collapsed some 15 minutes before the rink was due to close for the day.

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