2024-03-27 13:40:59
The double-decker bus left the road for unknown reasons. There were 53 passengers and two drivers on board.
Rescue workers work at the scene of an accident on the A9 near Schkeuditz, near the eastern German city of Leipzig.
Marvin Gaul / Reuters
According to initial findings, the double-decker bus left the road for an unknown reason on a straight route between the Wiedemar junction and the Schkeuditzer Kreuz, drove into the bushes and fell onto its side. A police spokesman emphasized that no other vehicle was likely involved in the accident. The important north-south route between Berlin and Munich was closed in both directions for several hours.
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 every effort was being made to clarify the cause of the accident quickly and completely. “Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this accident and their families.”
After three hours, the crashed bus was uprighted using belts and several dead people were rescued from the interior. Mobile privacy screens shielded the action. According to the police, the driver of the coach is not among the dead. Details about the man’s health were not given. According to the bus company, the driver had been at the wheel since leaving Berlin at 8 a.m. and had adhered to all driving and rest times.
It was still unclear when the bus would be recovered. At least the A 9 towards Berlin was reopened in the early afternoon.
Hospitals in the area had 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 was told what capacity there was to admit patients. Eight injured people were treated at Leipzig University Hospital, including one seriously injured, a spokesman said upon request.
Armin Schuster, the Interior Minister of Saxony (CDU), took an overview of the accident site and expressed his condolences to the relatives of the victims. He also thanked all the helpers on site for their professional efforts. He saw in the firefighters’ faces “how difficult these scenes were.”
Saxony’s Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer (CDU) described the news of the crashed bus on Platform X as “difficult to bear”. Saxony’s Transport Minister Martin Dulig was also dismayed. “My thoughts are with the relatives of the victims and injured,” said the SPD politician.
Emergency vehicles and rescue helicopters are at the scene of the accident.
Jan Woitas / dpa
Switzerland also noted with regret the serious bus accident in Germany, as the Foreign Ministry wrote on Platform X. The Swiss representation in Berlin is in contact with the responsible authorities and clarifications are underway. The Saxony police have set up a hotline for relatives.
#Leipzig | It is with regret that we have learned of the serious bus accident in Germany 🇩🇪.
The 🇨🇭 representative in Berlin is in contact with the responsible local authorities. Corresponding clarifications are underway.
— EDA – DFAE (@EDA_DFAE) March 27, 2024
Long-distance buses are actually one of the safest means of transport. According to accident statistics, buses are comparatively rarely involved in traffic accidents with personal injuries. A serious bus accident occurred on the A 9 near Bad Dürrenberg in Saxony-Anhalt in 2019. A woman died. In December 2023, a coach also had an accident on the A 9 near Leipzig, leaving several people injured.
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#dead #Leipzig