Bus inferno killed 18 in motorway crash

GERMANY: 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 […]

GERMANY: 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.