Holiday Nightmare in Bavaria: Tour Bus in flames after deadly Autobahn crash

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A tourist bus with mostly senior citizen travelers burst into flames on the A9 Autobahn (freeway) in Bavaria, Germany after colliding with a truck.

Officials in Germany say several people have been confirmed dead, at least 30 people were injured in the crash, and 18 are reported missing. Some people are fighting for their lives in nearby hospitals.

The tour bus slammed into a semitrailer near the Bavarian town of Münchberg Monday morning.

German Autobahns are famous for not having a speed limit.

 

hel1 | eTurboNews | eTN

Government spokesman Steffen Seibert said Chancellor Angela Merkel voiced “great dismay” at the crash. Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the President of the Federal Republic of Germany also made a statement.

Footage broadcast on German television showed a burnt-out bus wreck on the A9 highway with helicopters, ambulances, fire brigade trucks and 200 rescue workers on the scene. Police said the roadway’s southbound lanes would remain closed for the rest of the day.

The mayor of the nearby town of Stammbach, Karl Philipp Ehrler, told the German Press Agency it was the worst accident the community had experienced.

“It’s madness. This is just catastrophic,” he said.

The A9 motorway connects several popular holiday spots in the southern German region, which is known for its castles and hot spas.

The crash happened at the start of the Europe’s summer holiday season.

 

 

About the author

Avatar of Juergen T Steinmetz

Juergen T Steinmetz

Juergen Thomas Steinmetz has continuously worked in the travel and tourism industry since he was a teenager in Germany (1977).
He founded eTurboNews in 1999 as the first online newsletter for the global travel tourism industry.

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