As of: March 27, 2024, 1:35 p.m
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A firefighter examines the coach behind mobile privacy screens at the scene of the accident on the A9.
© Jan Woitas/dpa
A coach operated by Flixbus has a serious accident on the A9 near Leipzig.
Several helicopters and ambulances rush to the scene of the accident.
At least five people are killed.
Wiedemar/Leipzig - Several helicopters land on the highway, ambulances rush to the scene of the accident: A coach operated by Flixbus on the way from Berlin to Zurich had a serious accident on Autobahn 9 near Leipzig on Wednesday.
The police speak of at least five dead and several injured.
According to initial findings, the double-decker bus drove into the bushes for an unknown reason on a straight route between the Wiedemar junction and the Schkeuditzer Kreuz and fell onto its side.
The important north-south route between Berlin and Munich was closed in both directions.
Motorists were asked to keep an emergency lane clear.
According to the Flixbus company, there were 53 passengers and two drivers on board the long-distance bus.
A company spokesman said that we were working closely with the local authorities and the rescue workers on site and that everything was being done to clarify the cause of the accident quickly and completely.
“Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this accident and their families.”
Saxony's Transport Minister Martin Dulig also expressed his dismay.
“My thoughts are with the relatives of the victims and injured,” said the SPD politician.
“I would like to thank the many emergency services on site who provided quick help.”
With the help of belts, the bus was uprighted at midday so that other passengers could be rescued.
The event was fenced off by mobile privacy walls.
Hospitals in the area prepared for a large-scale operation.
The emergency room has been alerted and operating rooms and diagnostic rooms are being prepared and available, said a spokesman for the Diakonissen Hospital in Leipzig upon request.
In addition, the control center has been informed about the capacities it has for admitting patients.
There was already a serious bus accident on the A9 near Bad Dürrenberg in Saxony-Anhalt in 2019.
A woman died and several people were injured.
In December 2023, a coach also had an accident on the A9 near Leipzig, leaving several people injured.
dpa