A passenger bus had a serious accident on a German highway on Sunday, killing at least one person and seriously injuring several others.

The long-distance bus operated by Flixbus veered off the A9 near Leipzig, while carrying more than 70 passengers. The coach was traveling from Berlin to Munich.

Local police said there were early indications the driver had fallen asleep. The bus ended up on its side following an impact with the barriers on the hard shoulder of the highway. Emergency services, including numerous helicopters, attended the scene.

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"All the injured were medically taken care of and taken to surrounding hospitals, to Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt," a police spokesperson told local news radio rbb24.

The A9 was subsequently closed at the location of the crash, where the wreckage remained for several hours.

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The man who perished is yet to be named. Flixbus commented: "Our sympathy goes to the passengers and bus drivers concerned as well as their families and friends." Relatives of affected passengers can call for free on 0800 30013730 for individual information.

jsi/aw (AFP, AP, dpa)

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