At least five killed in coach accident near Germany's Leipzig

At least five people died and more than 20 people were injured in a coach accident in Germany on Wednesday near the eastern city of Leipzig, police said.

At around 9:45 am (0845 GMT), the coach veered off the motorway and crashed onto its side for unknown reasons.

A police spokesman said that no other vehicle was likely involved in the accident.

Several rescue helicopters and numerous ambulances were deployed to the scene of the accident.

The A9 motorway where the accident occurred is an important north-south route linking Berlin and Munich.

Police closed the motorway to traffic in both directions for several hours. Traffic towards Berlin resumed by late afternoon.

Bus operator Flixbus has expressed its deep sorrow after the crash.

"Our thoughts are with all those affected by this accident and their relatives," a spokesman for the company said on Wednesday in response to an enquiry.

No information was initially provided about the identity, age and gender of the victims.

The long-distance coach was travelling from Berlin to Zurich in the morning. According to Flixbus, there were 53 passengers and two drivers on board.

The company said it was working closely with the local authorities and the emergency services on site to clarify the cause of the accident.

The injured were taken to hospitals in the area.

Eleven people injured in the crash were treated at Leipzig University Hospital, including one seriously injured person, a spokesman announced in the afternoon. He was being treated in the intensive care unit.