Germany Flixbus crash: At least five killed as coach veers off highway

‘Numerous’ people injured after a bus travelling from Berlin, Germany to Zurich, Switzerland drives off the A9 motorway.

At least five people have been killed when a bus travelling from Berlin to Switzerland veered off a highway in eastern Germany and ended up on its side, police say.

“Numerous” others were injured in the incident on the A9 motorway near Leipzig about 9:45am (08:45 GMT) on Wednesday, police in the state of Saxony said on the social media platform X.

The A9 is an important north-south motorway linking the German capital to Munich. It was closed in both directions after the crash.

It was not immediately clear why the bus, which was operated by Flixbus and was en route to Zurich, went off the road. Rescue helicopters and ambulances were at the scene.

Flixbus said 53 passengers and two drivers were on board, the German Press Agency dpa reported.

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.

At the Deaconess Hospital in Leipzig, the emergency department was alerted, and operating theatres and diagnostic rooms were being prepared and kept on standby, a spokesperson said.