The bus made it about 170 kilometers out of Berlin before the disaster happened.
It remains unclear what exactly happened when a FlixBus with 53 passengers went wrong on its way from Berlin to Zurich earlier Wednesday.
Five people lost their lives and at least 20 were injured when the bus on the major German highway A9 drove into the ditch and ended up on its side.
FlixBus’ spokesman Sebastian Meyer tells the media that the bus company, which also has routes in Denmark, is now working closely with German authorities to find out how the accident could have happened.
– Our thoughts go out to everyone affected by this accident, he says.
In addition to the 53 passengers, there were also two bus drivers on board. They are not among the dead.
Next stop Nuremberg
The bus left the large bus station Zentraler Omnibusbahnhof Berlin around 8 o’clock on Wednesday morning. The trip went to Zurich in northern Switzerland, but according to Bild, the bus’ next stop was Nuremberg.
However, the bus only made it around 170 kilometers out of the German capital before disaster struck near Leipzig barely two hours after departure.
– A bus has gone wrong with many passengers. It is a tragedy that five people have lost their lives. We have several injured. As it is now, the number is 20, Olaf Hoppe from the German police previously said.
The identities or further information on the deceased passengers are not yet known.
The disaster quickly got the authorities to work, and at least five helicopters have been used in the rescue work. All passengers, including the uninjured, were subsequently taken to hospital.
