18 killed, 30 injured in German bus accident

By Ayhan Simsek

BERLIN

Eighteen people were killed and 30 others injured in a bus accident in southern Germany on Monday morning -- one of the worst-ever incidents on Germany's highways.

Local police confirmed that 18 passengers lost their lives after their bus caught fire following a collision with a truck on the A9 highway, near the southern town of Munchberg.

Among the 30 injured, two had life-threatening injuries, German media reported.

The bus was carrying a tour group of senior citizens who were travelling from eastern Germany to Lake Garda in northern Italy.

It was not immediately clear why the bus quickly burst into flames.