Add CategoryA TOURIST bus carrying more than 30 tourists, including Australians, has collided with a truck in Germany and left several people critically injured.
The incident unfolded when the bus changed lanes and collided with the truck filled with tyres while approaching an on-ramp to the A61 highway, near Heidelberg, in the country’s southwest.
According to broadcaster SWR, a total of 35 people were injured in the crash, including the drivers of both vehicles. At least 17 people were taken to hospital, including five women and three men from Canada, one woman from Australia, two men from the United States, and three Germans, according to police. Four of them are in critical conditions.
A Department of Foreign Affairs spokesperson told news.com.au “Australian officials in Germany are making urgent enquiries with local authorities to confirm the identity and condition of any Australians involved in the bus incident near Heidelberg”.
A police spokesman said five rescue helicopters and seven ambulances raced to the scene in the small southwestern town of Hockenheim, about 20 kilometres from Heidelberg. He said the road was shut for several hours.
Photos taken by local media show the front of the bus crushed, while the bulk of its body remains in tact. The truck reportedly also sustained major damage.