© ANP / DPA PICTURE ALLIANCE
A serious traffic accident near Leipzig, Germany, has claimed the lives of at least five people. Fifty injured and ten seriously injured are also expected, local media report.
On the A9 between the Wiedemar junction and Schkeuditzer Kreuz, a bus reportedly left the road around 9:45 am and then overturned. It may be a Flixbus that was on its way from Berlin to Zurich, Switzerland and had to make a stopover in Leipzig. A spokesperson for the bus company confirmed this Leipziger Volkszeitung.
The bus hit Image left the road for unknown reasons and struck a series of trees, causing it to overturn. Passengers and crew members were reportedly thrown from their seats. The emergency services responded with large equipment and closed the highway in both directions. Five rescue helicopters were deployed, according to local media.
At least five people have been killed in a Flixbus accident near Leipzig, Germany. Dozens of people are feared injured. — © ANP/DPA PICTURE ALLIANCE
Possibly more deaths
The death toll could possibly rise further. Police spokesperson Olaf Hoppe confirms in any case Image that at least five people have died. There were 53 passengers and two drivers on the bus. Hospitals in the area expect around fifty injured people and have switched to emergency care only for the victims.
Not the first time
It is not the first time that an accident involving a Flixbus has occurred on this part of the highway. In May 2019, an accident occurred 15 kilometers further south in which a bus fell over. A woman was killed and more than seventy people were injured, some seriously.
Also read: Dead and dozens injured in Flixbus accident in Germany
