Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Emergency services rushed to the scene

Eighteen people died when their tour bus collided with a lorry and burst into flames on the A9 motorway in southern Germany, police say.

Another 30 on the bus were hurt and two of them were fighting for their lives.

The bus was carrying a group of German pensioners at the time of the fire near Stammbach in northern Bavaria.

Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann said rescuers were delayed by "gawpers" driving slowly and by the intensity of the blaze.

The cause of the fire is unknown. Traffic was reportedly moving slowly at the time and the collision between the two vehicles was not described as a major crash.

The lorry's trailer was also incinerated and the burnt-out wreck ended up a short distance ahead of the bus. The German news website Frankenpost reports that it was carrying mattresses and pillows.

The lorry driver was unharmed and told police the bus had gone into the back of his vehicle and burst into flames, it said.

Image copyright AFP Image caption The burnt-out wrecks of the bus and lorry trailer ended up a short distance apart

There were 46 passengers and two drivers on the bus. The bus driver was among those killed. The passengers were men and women aged 66 to 81, heading to Lake Garda in Italy for a holiday.

Some of the passengers had got on the bus at Dresden station in the eastern state of Saxony. According to local media in Saxony, the bus had earlier picked up passengers elsewhere in Saxony and also in Brandenburg in the early hours of Monday before going to Dresden and then south-west towards Nuremberg.

By mid-afternoon forensic teams had recovered the charred remains of 15 people and police confirmed that 18 had died.

Firefighters reached the scene within 10 minutes of the accident but were driven back by the intensity of the fire. "Only steel parts are recognisable so you can understand what that meant for the people in this bus," said German Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt.

Motoring safety expert Hans-Ulrich Sander suggested that the fuel line that ran under the bus may have ruptured, prompting the fire to spread fast.

Five rescue helicopters joined emergency workers at the scene.

Chancellor Angela Merkel said she was distressed by the accident and expressed sympathy for the injured and bereaved relatives.

She thanked the rescuers for looking after people "in an appalling situation".

Image copyright AFP Image caption Forensic experts examined the charred skeleton of the bus and human remains inside

Image copyright Reuters Image caption The burnt-out shell of the bus could be seen as emergency teams reached the scene</s>FRANKFURT, Germany — Eighteen people were feared dead Monday after a bus carrying a group of seniors crashed into a truck on a freeway in Germany and burst into flames.

Thirty people were injured in the early-morning crash, some seriously, while 18 still considered missing "are believed to have died on the burning bus," police said in a statement.

Some 200 emergency crews were at the scene and helicopters whisked away the injured to nearby hospitals. Simple wooden caskets were wheeled in for the remains recovered from the blackened, twisted wreckage of the bus.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel thanked the emergency crews involved and sent the government's transport minister, Alexander Dobrindt, to the scene.

"Our thoughts are with the families of the victims and we wish all those who were injured a speedy recovery," she said.

The accident took place around 7 a.m. when the bus rear-ended the trailer-truck at the end of a traffic jam on the A9 highway near Muenchberg in Bavaria, not far from the Czech border.

Two drivers and 46 passengers were on the bus, Brandenstein said, adding it was not known if the person driving the bus among the dead or injured.

Police said the group on the bus was seniors from Saxony in eastern Germany.</s>Multiple people are feared dead and at least 31 people were injured after a bus collided with a truck in southern Germany on Monday.

The bus, which is believed to have been carrying 48 tourist pensioners, burst into flames following the collision on the A9 motorway around 7am local time near the town of Muenchberg, north of Munich in the German state of Bavaria.

German police have voiced fears that at least 17 people remain unaccounted for after the incident and may have been killed.

A German government spokesperson said: "Unfortunately numerous people - a tour group from (the eastern German state of) Saxony - lost their lives in this burning bus," according to Fairfax.

A spokesman for German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she had become aware of the crash with "great dismay", according to AFP news.

"Our thoughts and condolences 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," the spokesman said.

An emergency response was launched following the crash, including helicopters and ambulances in order to treat the injured and the highway was closed in both directions.</s>Eighteen people are feared dead after a bus carrying a group of German senior citizens crashed into a truck on a highway in Bavaria early Monday and burst into flames, police said.

Thirty people were injured in the early-morning accident, some seriously, while the 18 still considered missing "are believed to have died on the burning bus," police said in a statement.

"Two people are still in life-threatening condition," Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt told reporters after touring the crash site. "The remains of 11 bodies were recovered from the bus, and rescue crews are still looking for body parts of those who are still missing."

The accident took place around 7 a.m. when the bus rear-ended a tractor-trailer at the end of a traffic jam on the A9 highway near Muenchberg in Bavaria, not far from the Czech border. It was not immediately clear what caused the initial traffic jam, but the bus seemed to have burst into flames right after the crash, Dobrindt said.

Two drivers and 46 passengers were on the bus, police spokeswoman Irene Brandenstein said, adding that it was not known if the driver at the time was dead or alive.

About 200 emergency workers were at the scene, and five helicopters whisked the injured to nearby hospitals. Simple wooden coffins were wheeled in for the remains recovered from the blackened, twisted wreckage of the bus. The crash led to long traffic jams on the A9, the main thoroughfare from Berlin to Munich.

Police said the bus was carrying seniors from Saxony in eastern Germany. The news agency dpa reported that all the passengers were Germans.

"Our thoughts are with the families of the victims and we wish all those who were injured a speedy recovery," she said.

Forensic specialists were brought in from Germany's federal police office to remove and identify bodies from the charred vehicle. Dobrindt said rescue work was difficult because the bus was so badly damaged.

"The heat was so strong that nothing that's inflammable is left from the bus — only the steel frame," Dobrindt said.

When firefighters first arrived, the site was so hot that they couldn't get anywhere close to the burning vehicle to rescue those locked inside, he said, adding "All they could do was extinguish the fire."

The A9 highway remained closed on both sides for hours and police tweeted later that the road leading south would be shut down for the entire day.

The relatives of the victims have not yet been contacted because experts are still working on identifying the bodies, Dobrindt said.

A phone number was activated to provide family members with information. Psychologists and counselors were talking to the injured and also to the rescue personnel.

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Bedouins in the West Bank hold fast to their land — as pressure builds for them to leave</s>Eighteen people are feared dead after a bus carrying a group of German senior citizens crashed into a truck on a highway in Bavaria and burst into flames, police said. Thirty people were injured in the accident early on Monday morning , some seriously, while the 18 still considered missing "are believed to have died on the burning bus," police said in a statement.

Start the conversation, or Read more at Stuff.co.nz.</s>(AP) – Bavarian police confirm that all 18 people missing in the bus crash on a highway in southern Germany are dead. Another 30 people were injured when the bus carrying a group of German senior citizens crashed into a truck on the A9 highway in Bavaria early Monday and burst into flames. Two of the injured are still in life-threatening condition.

Police also tweeted that the members of the group were between 41 and 81 years old and mostly from Saxony in eastern Germany. Two drivers and 46 passengers were on the bus. The accident took place around 7 a.m. when the bus rear-ended a trailer-truck at the end of a traffic jam on the A9 highway near Muenchberg in Bavaria.</s>The Latest on bus-truck collision in Germany (all times local):

Bavarian police confirm that all 18 people missing in the bus crash on a highway in southern Germany are dead.

Another 30 people were injured when the bus carrying a group of German senior citizens crashed into a truck on the A9 highway in Bavaria early Monday and burst into flames. Two of the injured are still in life-threatening condition.

Police also tweeted that the members of the group were between 41 and 81 years old and mostly from Saxony in eastern Germany. Two drivers and 46 passengers were on the bus.

The accident took place around 7 a.m. when the bus rear-ended a trailer-truck at the end of a traffic jam on the A9 highway near Muenchberg in Bavaria.

Germany's transport minister is visiting the site of a bus crash on a highway in Bavaria which is believed to have killed 18 people and injured 30.

Minister Alexander Dobrindt says two of the injured are in live-threatening condition. He says 11 bodies have been recovered from the charred wreckage of the bus, which burst into flames when it crashed into a truck on the A9 highway near Muenchberg on Monday. Rescuers are still looking for remains of the missing people.

Dobrindt said when firefighters arrived, the heat of the fire was so strong that they couldn't get near the bus to rescue the people locked inside, but were only able to start extinguishing the fire.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has expressed her sadness about the bus accident which is believed to have killed 18 people and injured 30.

Merkel said Monday that, "our thoughts are with the families of the victims and we wish all those who were injured a speedy recovery."

The chancellor also thanked the rescue teams and said she had sent the government's transport minister, Alexander Dobrindt, to the crash site.

The accident took place around 7 a.m. (0500GMT) when the bus rear-ended a trailer-truck at the end of a traffic jam on the A9 highway near Muenchberg in Bavaria, not far from the Czech border.

German police say they believe that 18 people died in a Bavarian bus accident after the bus rammed into a truck and burst into flames.

Bavarian police say 30 others were injured, some seriously, and were brought to hospitals for treatment. The others, they said in a statement Monday, "are believed to have died on the burning bus."

Police spokeswoman Irene Brandenstein says the bus was carrying a German senior citizens' tour group.

German police say there were "multiple" fatalities after a bus crashed into a truck on a highway in Bavaria and burst into flames.

Bavarian police said on Twitter Monday that "multiple passengers on the bus were killed" in the early-morning crash. They did not provide details, but had previously said 17 people were missing.

Another 31 were injured, some seriously.

Authorities said that forensic specialists were being brought in from Germany's federal police office to remove and identify the bodies from the charred vehicle.

The accident took place around 7 a.m. (0500GMT) when the bus rear-ended the truck at the end of a traffic jam on the A9 highway near Muenchberg in Bavaria, near the Czech border. The highway remained closed on both sides for hours.

Police say a group of people from Saxony in eastern Germany was aboard the bus that went up in flames after it crashed into a truck on southern Germany.

Police say they fear a number of fatalities in the accident Monday morning, in which 31 people were injured and 17 have not been accounted for.

Oberfranken police tweeted that family members could call a special number for further information on the accident.

German police fear that there may be a number of fatalities after a collision in Germany engulfed a coach in flames. Some 31 people were reported injured with 17 other remaining to be accounted for. German news channel n-tv showed footage of the bus which was burned down to a black, smoking skeleton.

Police spokeswoman Irene Brandenstein says, "We're afraid that people may have died in the accident."

Police say a coach went up in flames after it crashed into a truck Monday morning in southern Germany, injuring 31 people and leaving 17 others to be accounted for.

Police said several people were severely injured in the crash near Muenchberg in Bavaria.

Two drivers and 46 people and were on the bus, police spokeswoman Irene Brandenstein said.

German news channel n-tv showed footage of the bus which was burned down to a black, smoking skeleton.</s>BERLIN (CNN) -- A number of people have been killed in a bus crash in Bavaria, the German government confirmed Monday.

Steffen Seibert, a spokesman for the German government, said Chancellor Angela Merkel had expressed her great dismay at the incident.

The collision occurred at 7 a.m. local time (1 a.m. ET) on the A9 road from the east of the country toward Nuremberg.

Earlier Monday, police said 17 people were missing after the bus, which was carrying 46 people at the time, collided with a truck and then burst into flames.

Police also said that 31 people were seriously injured in the crash which took place near Münchberg, Bavaria.</s>BERLIN — Eighteen people have died and two others remain in “grave danger” following a bus crash in Germany, according to the Bavarian Interior Ministry.

Thirty other people suffered injuries in the Monday morning crash, a statement from the local authority said.

Earlier, German Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt told reporters that emergency services had recovered 11 bodies from the crash in Bavaria. After the collision, the bus caught on fire and the flames were “so strong that only steel parts” were still recognizable, Dobrindt added.

The collision occurred at 7 a.m. local time (1 a.m. ET) on the A9 road in the eastern part of the country, near Nuremberg.

Steffen Seibert, a spokesman for the German government, said Chancellor Angela Merkel had expressed her great dismay at the incident.

“We know there are a large number of killed and many injured. In these hours our thoughts are with the families of the victims and of course we wish all those who were injured a speedy recovery from the bottom of our hearts,” Seibert tweeted in the aftermath of the incident.

He added, “We want to thank the first responders,” saying their work is vital in tragic situations like the bus crash.</s>BERLIN (AP) — The Latest on bus-truck collision in Germany (all times local):

German police say they believe that 18 people died in a Bavarian bus accident after the bus rammed into a truck and burst into flames.

Bavarian police say 30 others were injured, some seriously, and were brought to hospitals for treatment. The others, they said in a statement Monday, “are believed to have died on the burning bus.”

Police spokeswoman Irene Brandenstein says the bus was carrying a German senior citizens’ tour group.

German police say there were “multiple” fatalities after a bus crashed into a truck on a highway in Bavaria and burst into flames.

Bavarian police said on Twitter Monday that “multiple passengers on the bus were killed” in the early-morning crash. They did not provide details, but had previously said 17 people were missing.

Another 31 were injured, some seriously.

Authorities said that forensic specialists were being brought in from Germany’s federal police office to remove and identify the bodies from the charred vehicle.

The accident took place around 7 a.m. (0500GMT) when the bus rear-ended the truck at the end of a traffic jam on the A9 highway near Muenchberg in Bavaria, near the Czech border. The highway remained closed on both sides for hours.

Police say a group of people from Saxony in eastern Germany was aboard the bus that went up in flames after it crashed into a truck on southern Germany.

Police say they fear a number of fatalities in the accident Monday morning, in which 31 people were injured and 17 have not been accounted for.

Oberfranken police tweeted that family members could call a special number for further information on the accident.

German police fear that there may be a number of fatalities after a collision in Germany engulfed a coach in flames. Some 31 people were reported injured with 17 other remaining to be accounted for. German news channel n-tv showed footage of the bus which was burned down to a black, smoking skeleton.

Police spokeswoman Irene Brandenstein says, “We’re afraid that people may have died in the accident.”

Police say a coach went up in flames after it crashed into a truck Monday morning in southern Germany, injuring 31 people and leaving 17 others to be accounted for.

Police said several people were severely injured in the crash near Muenchberg in Bavaria.

Two drivers and 46 people and were on the bus, police spokeswoman Irene Brandenstein said.

German news channel n-tv showed footage of the bus which was burned down to a black, smoking skeleton.
Eighteen people are dead after a bus collides with a truck in the German state of Bavaria.