By DPA
Berlin : A bus taking a group of elderly Germans on a holiday trip crashed on a high-speed motorway on Monday, killing 13 passengers and injuring 30, police said.
The bus was on its way to the city of Dresden when it plunged down an embankment on the A14 motorway near the town of Koennern in eastern Germany.
Over 45 people were on the bus, which began its journey in the western German town of Ibbenbueren.
Helicopters and police evacuated the injured to hospitals in the nearby cities of Magdeburg and Dessau while paramedics treated the lightly injured at the scene.
The driver survived the crash and was being treated for shock. The owner of the bus company said a truck had run into the back of the vehicle, causing it to crash. Police were unable to confirm this.
The motorway was blocked in both directions for hours after the accident, which occurred early afternoon.
The victims were elderly members of a farmers’ organisation, which had organised a six-day outing for them to Dresden, a city famous for its architectural treasures.