A bus headed for Switzerland has come off a German highway, killing at least five people
At least five people were killed on Wednesday when a bus headed from Berlin to Switzerland came off a highway in eastern Germany and ended up on its side, authorities said.
The accident happened on the A9 highway near Leipzig at about 9.45am (7.45pm AEDT) and the road was closed in both directions.
It wasn't immediately clear why the bus, which was operated by Flixbus and was en route to Zurich after setting off from Berlin at 8am (6pm AEDT), came off the road.
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Emergency vehicles and a rescue helicopter work at the scene of the accident on the A9, near Schkeuditz, Germany, Wednesday, March 27. 2024 Jan Woitas/dpa via AP
Rescue helicopters and ambulances were at the scene.
Police spokesman Olaf Hoppe told n-tv television that there were "numerous injured and at least five dead."
Flixbus said there were 53 passengers and two drivers on board. The company said it was working closely with local authorities and rescue services and would do everything to clear up the cause of the accident quickly.
Emergency vehicles and rescue helicopters are at the scene of the accident on the A9, near Schkeuditz, Germany, Wednesday March 27. 2024. Jan Woitas/dpa via AP
The double-decker bus was later turned upright to continue the recovery effort, German news agency dpa reported.
The A9 is a major north-south route that links Berlin with Munich. The accident happened on a straight stretch of the road just north of a highway interchange at Schkeuditz, next to the Leipzig/Halle airport.
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