photo-DW
AMN /
Eighteen 18 people were dead and 30 injured after a tour bus collided with a truck and burst into flames in the southern state of Bavaria in Germany Monday. Officials in Germany have confirmed that all 18 missing people have been confirmed dead after a tour bus collided with a truck and burst into flames in the southern state of Bavaria.
At least 30 people were injured in the crash.
According to DW Forty-eight people were traveling on the bus when it slammed into a semitrailer near the Bavarian town of Münchberg and burst into flames early Monday, police said. Up to 18 people were first said to be missing, then confirmed dead.
“It’s clear now that all 18 of the missing people on the bus died in the accident,” police said on Twitter.
They said the ages of those on the bus ranged from 41 to 81 and that most were from the eastern German state of Saxony.
Government spokesman Steffen Seibert said Chancellor Angela Merkel voiced “great dismay” at the crash.
“Unfortunately numerous people…lost their lives in this burning bus,” Seibert told a news conference. “Our thoughts go to the victims and their family members, as well as to the injured. We hope that those who have been rescued will recover from their injuries.”
Forensic specialists were sent to the site to remove and identify the bodies from the charred vehicle. Federal Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt also examined the crash site.